Originial J's Shadow
by lordlink13
Summary: First version; look for "Joker's Shadow" for a better version. On her own, Shadow is a normal criminal. But when she goes to Gotham City, she's caught by the Joker himself. In his control, Shadow finds herself learning just how similar she is to him.
1. Chapter 1

I remember the night well.

I hadn't been expecting anything to happen, despite the fact that I had never been to Gotham City before. I knew about the villains of the city; I knew about Catwoman, the Penguin, the Riddler, Mr. Freeze, and Poison Ivy. I knew enough to know how dangerous the city was. I wasn't afraid.

I thought it was just the place for me. I loved to be in danger; I knew how to handle it. Danger was my middle name.

Being in Gotham was like being home. I didn't think of it as anything else…

I sat on the curb, glancing at my watch. It was nearly midnight…time to get to work.

I stood up, shouldering my backpack and starting down the road. The streets of Gotham were empty and quiet. The summer breeze whipped through my red hair, which I took and pulled back into a ponytail - I didn't want it in my face while I worked.

I hadn't gone far down the road when I heard the sound of squealing tires and the rumbling of a straining motorcycle.

I glanced over my shoulder in time to see a car come around the corner at high speed, nearly tipping over. I stopped; I liked this kind of action, only seeing it but never being in it.

A motorcycle of some kind came flying around the corner after the car. Looking at it, I recognized it from the news stories I've researched before I moved to Gotham as the Batman's pod-thing. Who was he chasing this time? It had to be either the Penguin or the Riddler, though I doubted both.

I watched the car, watching as a man stuck his head out. He was shouting something at Batman, _encouraging_ him? The man didn't sound angry at Batman; he sounded…_glad_ that Batman was chasing him.

The man turned his head, and I swear; we made eye-contact for nothing more than a second. My heart stopped beating for that one second. The man wasn't anyone I could think of off the top of my head. For that one second, I was sure that I knew him, but I couldn't seem to remember who he was.

After that second, he was gone, flying down the road with Batman chasing after him.

I suddenly wasn't in the mood to perform my work that night. I turned and headed back to my apartment. My head ached for some reason as I entered my apartment, turning on the light as I pulled out my hair elastic, letting my hair hang slightly past my shoulders.

Dropping my backpack at the door, I went to the kitchen to get some ice water, which I used the glass to press against my forehead. It eased the pain of the growing headache. With the cold glass still against my forehead, I walked into my bedroom and sat down at my desk, opening my laptop.

I didn't feel tired; I often wasn't. I can't really say that I'm a normal person; I can function as well as a normal person who sleeps eight to ten hours, except I only get two hours, and those are usually during the day. I was born a night person. That was why I chose the job that I did.

A supernatural criminal, that's what I call myself. Ever since I was twelve, that was what I did. I grew up with a normal family, loving parents, a little brother…until they were murdered. I wasn't there when it happened, but I did go out for revenge. At age thirteen, I had managed to establish a criminal life for myself with nothing better to do. What was I supposed to do? No family, no friends, no education…I had been nothing more than a shadow in school, following people I thought were close enough to be people to talked to; I wasn't a friend-maker, nothing more than a loner.

With my laptop set up, I put the cold glass down on the desk and checked for news of another criminal in Gotham. Surely I would recognize that man I had seen when I saw him on the news. Why I couldn't time of his name, I don't know.

I didn't have time to react.

Someone came up behind me and grabbed me, covering my mouth before I could scream…like I was one to scream for help. As I was yanked out of my chair, I used my still free hands to grab the person's head, groping for his neck. Gripping it, I clenched it. In return, that was what he did to me…except he was the unfortunate one.

I finished my fall backwards by throwing my legs over him, coming around to get on him like a piggy-back. The twist backwards caused him to loosen his grip on my neck, and I released his, using one hand to yank a hunk of his hair. He cried out in pain, and seconds later, I had him on the ground, one hand pressing into his back, holding an arm behind him while the other pushed on the back of his neck.

That was when I felt a cold blade touch my neck.

I stopped, breathing softly like nothing had happened. I felt a rough hand grab my arm, and I was pulled to my feet. The person spun me around, and in the light, I was surprised to see who it was.

Now, I knew who I had seen in the speeding car, but it caused me to wonder how in the world he had gotten out that fast as to get to my apartment only minutes after me.

He stood before me, one of his switchblades pressed against my throat. I looked up at him, calmly taking in his features. He wore smudged makeup which only proved that he was out, working as the terrorist criminal that he was. His face was white with coal black makeup surrounding his dark eyes. His scarred mouth was red, and his stringy hair had been spray painted green. He wore his signature purple jacket, and with that, and his scars, I knew who he was.

The Joker.


	2. Chapter 2

I wasn't surprised, not in the least. The Joker had seen me earlier; he must have seen the challenge I presented. I was nothing more than an ordinary criminal who spent her time analyzing life more than she did certain banks she planned to break into. Then again, in a way, I wasn't a normal criminal. Just by looking at a person, I could tell a great deal about them. The Joker was an exception.

I glanced at his free hand, which he had dropped away from my throat, to see that he was twirling a switchblade carelessly. He kept his grip on my arm as his brown eyes narrowed slightly.

"Well, well, well," the Joker said, "We have quite a, ah, a fierce little tiger here."

I didn't like the petname, but I didn't respond, keeping my eyes on his. I didn't trust this criminal, not in the slightest. I knew that he was unpredictable in what he was going to do or what he was thinking, but if he was going to try to get me by surprise, he was dead wrong.

"Not an ordinary girl," he continued, sliding his blade gently down my cheek. I could tell he was trying to make me speak.

I still didn't respond, resisting the urge to tell him that I wasn't someone he thought he could just have. At least, if I didn't speak, he might just give up on me. I didn't want to be with a criminal like him.

That was when he grabbed my head, and I moved, gripping his hand with the switchblade and keeping it away from me. We grappled, and I realized that he would be harder than the rest of his thugs. He was quite strong. I felt his foot smack mine, but I shifted my weight to keep it there. He wasn't going to knock me down that easily. However, I don't know how he did it, but he succeeded in tripping me, knocking me down on the floor. The Joker straddled me, pinning down my wrists on either side of my head.

"Like I said, not an ordinary girl," he remarked, licking his lips. He started giggling, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. What the heck was wrong with guy?

"You're crazy," I murmured, struggling to free my wrists from his grip. My strength was no match for his, especially when he had a knife pressed against one of my wrists.

"I'm _not_," the Joker insisted, sounding suddenly angry, cutting off his laughter quite rapidly. "No, I'm not." His tongue flicked out to run over his scars.

"What? You're not surprised that I can speak in the first place?" Even I was startled by my sudden outburst. I was normally someone who didn't talk much, speaking with very few words. I could have a conversation with a talkative person and only need to give them one word to get them going off again. It seemed as though the Joker wasn't going to be like one of those people, _my_ type of person.

"The little tiger's growling," he taunted. His eyes flicked over to his men. There were three of them, two standing by the door of my bedroom and the other who had attacked me was groaning as he sat up. "How 'bout a ride, Tiger?" the Joker asked. He moved quickly, even gracefully, climbing off me and then yanking me off the floor.

As I came up, I grabbed the glass I had been using to freeze my headache, and I went to smash it on the Joker's head. He was faster, grabbing my wrist and then slamming the glass down on my head. The pain caused spots of red to blur my vision, but I didn't lose consciousness.

I kneed him in the groin, but he kept his grip, laughing it off.

"Feisty little tiger," the Joker laughed. He grabbed a handful of my hair and tugged on it. I punched him in the jaw for it, making him release my hair, but like before, he laughed about it. "Not very sociable, and I'm not surprised either."

"Why come for me when you could be out playing with Batman?" I demanded, furiously. The Joker's laughter irritated me.

He fell silent, his free hand brought his switchblade to my neck again while his other simply held me to keep me from escaping.

"C'mon, you'd have more fun with Batman than with a shadow like me!"

The Joker stared at me, wonder in his eyes. "A shadow?" he asked curiously, turning his head slightly to the side. The action reminded me of a dog when it looked at something that it was curious about.

"Yeah," I answered, "Didn't realize that I could be nothing but trouble." I realized after I said it that I shouldn't have said it.

"Trouble..." The Joker leaned his face close to mine, his eyes alight. "I _enjoy_ trouble." He yanked on my arm, taking his switchblade away from my throat. The door to my apartment was open, and as he yanked me out, I grabbed hold of the doorframe with my free hand, making a last attempt to get away from him. The Joker tugged hard, ripping my grasp away from the wooden frame, not caring that the violent tug might cause my hand to burn against the wood. With a burning hand, I followed the Joker, feeling little comfort from knowing that I wasn't going with him unarmed.

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**Lordlink13: Sorry if the summary of the story sucked. I'm not a good summary person. Anyway, I'm a bit shaky on the beginning of this story so _please_ bear with me. It might take me awhile to get into the right tone for the rest of the story. Reviews are the best of encouragements.**


	3. Chapter 3

I sat in the backseat of a SUV with two goons while the Joker sat in the passenger's seat with another guy. My hands were tied, and I didn't dare turn my head for any reason because it seemed as though whenever I even _twitched_, the Joker would look up at the rearview mirror and watch me.

He certainly looked proud of himself, with that stupid grin on his face. I stared at his mirrored image for a few moments, seeing right through the scars; he was actually smiling _without _the help of the scars.

I used my peripheral vision to look out the windows. There wasn't much to see, and it turned out that the Joker became curious on what I was looking at...the dashboard. He waved his hand around, trying to catch my attention. Of course, he had my attention; I just wasn't going to let him know that. I wanted to see how long it would take for him to actually pull out his little 'friend' knife.

He finally stopped, pouting ever so slightly. I couldn't resist the urge to smile at the childish pout. The Joker turned his head in time to see my grin vanish.

"You think, ah, that's funny?" the Joker demanded, angrily. I felt his two men cringe on either side of me, like they thought he was talking to them. I actually focused on him, and he looked slightly taken aback. Was there a flash of fear in his coal black eyes? If there was, it had only lasted a second.

The Joker turned back around, facing the front. He didn't try anything else for several minutes, and I wondered if he had given up. Surely, this isn't the Joker, the mass-murdering psychopath who's been terrorizing Gotham City for the past few months? If this was him, obviously, I had overestimated him.

I turned my head away so then I could look out the window, but the guy next to me was so _bulky_. I gave up and simply closed my eyes, pretending to fall asleep after a few minutes. I knew the act well. Let the muscles in my neck relax and let my head fall onto one of the guy's shoulders. Even though the goon pushed my head away, I still kept my eyes closed, and I opened my mouth slightly, making my breathing a little louder so that it was audible. So many people had fallen for this act...and most of them are dead now.

Even though I kept up the act, I must have actually fallen asleep after awhile. I had allowed my mind to wander, and I had fallen into a stone-dead sleep of two hours. When I awoke, I didn't open my eyes, allowing my mind to waken before I tried moving any muscles. As my mind awoke, I mentally tried to figure out where I was.

With the constant motion, I could tell I was still in a moving car, probably still with the Joker and his goons. My head was leaning against one of the goons' shoulder. They must have given up on trying to keep my head off them. I think I heard some quiet music playing, from the SUV's radio most likely.

As I twitched my fingers to begin the awakening of my muscles, I realized that the man's shoulder I was leaning on was not as bulky as either of the goons.

"The sleepy tiger is beginning to awaken." Oh no! His voice was unmistakably close, meaning _right over my head_! I felt him shift, and I leaned away from him, opening my eyes.

The Joker grinned at me, and my eyes narrowed. "Comfortable?" he asked me, grinning. I suddenly realized that he had an arm around my shoulders. He was teasing me...or he was hitting on me when I had to be more than ten years younger than him.

"Excuse me?" I said, slowly pulling away. He tightened his hold, stopping my attempt to slip away without hurting myself in case he jerked me back.

The Joker leaned his face near mine, and he repeated, "Comfortable, little tiger?"

I didn't respond, not knowing how to answer that without giving him satisfaction in one way or another. Instead, I turned my head to see if the other goon was next to me, but he wasn't. The Joker grabbed my chin and turned me to face him, but my eyes flickered off to the front seat. The Joker had all three of his men up in the front, the two who had sat on either side of me earlier were basically sitting on one another's laps.

"I thought that you'd be more comfortable when it was, ah, just you and me," the Joker said.

"Very thoughtful of you," I remarked in a neutral tone. I was trying to find out a way out of here, but with the Joker's arm around me, that was going to prove difficult.

"I wonder…" he began, releasing my chin and pulling out his knife. "You're a fighter, Tiger, that much I can tell, but it seems as though…" He paused, meeting my eyes. "You've been through more than I thought."

"Are you curious?" I asked.

"I'll admit that I am," the Joker answered, shifting again.

"And _how_ do you plan on getting it?"

He fingered his switchblade. "Do I look like a _schemer _to you?" he asked. He sounded insulted, but there was amusement in his eyes.

"No, I just figured that it is a natural thing for a _sane_ person to do."

His switchblade was pressed against my throat before I could blink. The Joker leaned in even more until I could feel his hot breath on my face.

"Are you willing to continue pushing your luck?" he asked, his tone hard.

"I only have one reason to live, and even that's a lame excuse. You can go ahead and kill me, torture me, make it slow and _painful_. I'm sure you could do it; I'm more positive that you'll _enjoy_ doing it too."

That stopped him for a moment. The Joker's face - when he actually took a moment to think - looked funny. I resisted the urge to laugh at him, but I still let a smile through.

"Never had a troublesome victim, have you?" I asked, curiously. "I would think that the Batman as a prisoner would be interesting…how much trouble do you want to bet he would give you?"

The Joker tightened his grip on his knife, pressing it into my neck and drawing a bit of blood. When he saw that I didn't even wince, he tried pressing harder, and I smirked at him as he drew more blood. Yes, it _did_ hurt, but I knew how to make parts of my body numb, at least keeping my face straight when I was hurt. I didn't do it often, but now seemed like the best time to do it and to test whether or not the Joker _would_ hurt me enough to kill me. My lack of reaction to the pain and blood seemed to unnerve him for a second before the Joker started grinning as well.

"How much more can you take?" he asked me, quietly. "How much more pain can you ignore? _That's_ what I'm curious about."

"Why don't you keep going and find out?" I felt a jab of pain, and it wasn't from where the Joker was pressing his knife. It was sharp, and compared to it, the cut in my neck was only a tap.

I fought to keep control over my expression, but it got the better of me. I gritted my teeth, and I winced, giving the Joker the satisfaction from hurting me – even though he had nothing to do with it.

"You could only be so difficult for only _oh so long_-ah." The Joker was teasing me now, and he pulled the knife away, wiping the blood onto the car seat. He slid the clean blade down my cheek, but I kept wincing, the pain throbbing. "Oh, come now, I'm not threatening your life anymore."

"It's not that…" I winced, turning my head away from him. Of course, I should have know, but I did it anyway. My vision swam, and I leaned into the Joker, trying to avoid getting nauseous. "I thought…I thought…" Another throb. My thoughts scattered, and I couldn't think straight. I closed my eyes, and I reached with a hand to hold something. Anything would have to do.

I grabbed the first thing I could, and I gripped it tightly. All my senses went, I couldn't hear anything, and I couldn't smell anything. With my eyes closed, I couldn't tell if my vision had gone. All I was aware of was that my head was spinning and throbbing while I was squeezing something so tightly that I was surprised I didn't break it, whatever it was.

The agony was the center of my world.

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**Lordlink13: I want to thank **ChibiLover123 **and** JimandSteve **for the encouragement. One of my main problems was that the Joker would even be close to how Heath Ledger portrayed him. I'll be honest; I'm still shaky, but I actually think I'll be able to bring this story all the way to the end. Don't be afraid to give this story reviews. They are good encouragement; I tend to work better that way. Enjoy!**


	4. Chapter 4

After several very painful minutes, the throbbing finally eased off into a pounding headache. Things gradually came back.

I was laying down on the backseat of the SUV. The car was stopped and turned off. My hands were free, and as I opened my eyes, my vision was blurry. At least it wasn't swimming.

"Boss, she's awake."

I tried to sit up as the Joker appeared at the open car door. Seeing him, I dropped back down, raising a hand to my head.

"The little tiger has a mental problem?" the Joker asked.

"Nothing you'd have to worry about if you just slit my throat!" I said, angrily. I even added a growl at the end of it.

The Joker laughed. "But I can tell that you'll survive anyway."

"Why do you care?" I demanded. "You're a criminal mastermind! You love to kill people, even your own men if they happen to do something wrong! Why do you bother keeping a troublesome girl, like me, alive? Wouldn't you enjoy it even more if you just went ahead and tortured me in every _sick_ way you could?"

The Joker looked bored throughout the entire time I was ranting. This only made me angrier, but I forced myself to contain it, waiting for what he would say or do.

"Are you finished yet-ah?" he asked.

I glared at him, not speaking.

"You're wondering why I took you in the first place, aren't you?" the Joker asked, climbing up onto the seat. I moved my legs, scrambling as far from him as I could. His mouth turned up into a small smile at this, but I could tell he was resisting the urge to actually smile completely. He stared at me, as if waiting for me to answer him, and I suppose he was, but I didn't say anything. I wasn't going to give him anymore satisfaction.

"Take me back," I ordered. "I'm no use to you."

The Joker let his smile take in his scars. "Oh, but you are, little tiger, you _really_ are." He lunged forward, throwing himself over me. I jumped back and hit my head against the other door. He started giggling as he trapped me on the backseat.

"Do you _ever_ do anything else _other_ than play with your prisoners?" I demanded, wincing in pain as the head hit caused my pounding headache to grow slightly worse.

He continued to giggle, licking his scarred lips. "Answer me one question," the Joker said.

"That depends on the question," I replied, glaring at him.

"Why so serious?" He leaned forward, pressing his lips against mine. I jerked my head, but he grabbed it and forced me to face him again. I felt his rough scars, and I tried to pry his gloved hands off my cheeks, but he held on, using his arms to block my hands.

He obviously didn't think this completely through.

I jammed both hands into his coat pockets, grabbing a knife each. I switched the blades and then jabbed them into his sides. He grunted as he tore away from me, grabbing my wrists and tearing my grip free of the knives.

The Joker's painted face did not hide his anger. He gripped my wrists in one hand and slapped me across the face with the other. Then, he jerked me out of the car. I stumbled onto the road as he threw me to one of his goons.

I used my momentum to knock the guy over. Then, I rolled away from the goon and swung my leg around, knocking another man down. I jumped to my feet and started running.

Behind me, I heard the Joker grunt again, and then I heard rapid footsteps behind me. Someone slammed into me from behind, and I was knocked down onto the road, my head smashing into the pavement.

The Joker grabbed the back of my shirt, and yanked me off the ground. He was growling as he punched me in the stomach, causing me to double over. The Joker tied my hands and then yanked me back to his men, throwing me at the only one standing.

I hit the guy, but this goon was by far steadier than the other two. He gripped me by the shoulders in a crushing grasp; I worried that he would crush my shoulder bones.

I watched as the Joker kicked both of his men on the ground, telling them to get up. I saw that the knives I used on him were still in his sides, and he now took the chance to yank them out, one by one. He turned his face away from me and his goons as he yanked them out so I'm not sure if he winced or not.

Then, he turned back, holding both bloodied knives and the switchblade he had in his hand already, a grin was on his face.

"I suggest that you boys be wary of this one," the Joker instructed, eying me as I glared at him. "She's quite a vicious cookie." He lifted his gloved hand, pulling the purple, leather glove off to show that his hand was covered in bruises. So _that_ was what I had held onto during the headache pain! "She knows how to _handle_ herself," the Joker continued as he twirled one of his knives in his hand, starting to laugh.

I wanted to wipe that grin off his face so I said, "I know how to use those knives better than you do."

The Joker stopped laughing, turning his attention to me. "Really?" he asked in a challenging tone.

"You can try me now, if you like," I told him, confidently. I wasn't scared of him; his knives didn't terrify me, not in the least. I actually wondered if he feared me since I must be so strange compared to any of his normal victims, but I doubted that. This was the Joker I was talking about, not some _original _criminal.

"Maybe some other time, Tiger," the Joker said. He gestured to one of his men, and his man wrapped a blindfold tightly around my head. This didn't help my throbbing headache. The pressure from the tight blindfold caused me to whimper. "Not so tight!" the Joker growled. There was a gunshot, and one of the men grunted. I wasn't surprised that the Joker killed his own guy; he could always get replacements, I guess, from _mental_ hospitals. "Seems like the little tiger's head is sensitive at the moment. Loosen the blindfold or you'll end up just like him," the Joker threatened another of his men.

I felt the blindfold being loosen, but tied on still. The pressure wasn't as bad.

"Better?" the Joker asked me, and I simply nodded.

Someone grabbed my shoulders from behind and forced me forward, leading me. I heard a door open, and then I heard the Joker say right by my ear, "I'll take her to, ah, to her room." The hands released me and then I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders.

What the heck was with this man? I didn't think he was the kind of guy he _hit _on his victims.

The Joker led me up some wooden stairs - I could tell that they were wooden because of their creaking as we ascended them - to a second floor, to the third floor, and then to the fourth floor. As he led me down some hallways, I figured he was purposely taking forever to get to the one room I was going to be trapped in. He was trying to make me lost, but he didn't know what ability I had.

Not even I understood it all that well. All I knew, from experience, was that I could sense danger and never lose my sense of direction. However, I guess the Joker happened to be the exception for my ability since he was capable of sneaking into my apartment before I realized he was there...then again, he managed to get his men in as well. Maybe I didn't know because of the pounding headache I had at the time.

Finally, the Joker stopped. "We're here," he announced, sounding proud of himself for some reason. He swiped off my blindfold, and all I could see was an ordinary door. The Joker pushed the door open, and he leaned in close to my ear. In a sing-song voice, he said, "Welcome home, little Tiger." Then, he roughly pushed me forward.

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**Lordlink13: I appreciate all the reviews and the encouragement. I'm beginning to feel more confident with the story, and the reviews get me so excited to continue writing it. So, if you want more, keep up the reviews.**


	5. Chapter 5

The room was simple. With gray walls and a wooden floor that creaked with age, all it had was a dusty dresser and a bed. I looked around, seeing only one window by the bed. It was barred.

"What do you think?" the Joker asked behind me. I turned around to find him standing in the doorway, blocking my way out with his hands clenching the top of the frame casually.

"What do you mean 'what do I think'?" I asked.

A flicker of irritation crossed his painted features. "You know what I mean," he growled.

I smiled; I was beginning to irritate the funny madman. I considered that an accomplishment. "Well, I figure I could be placed in worse," I said, gesturing to the room with my tied hands.

He shifted, remaining in the doorway. I looked at him, seeing him shake his head violently like he was trying to shake off something. Then, the Joker turned and closed the door behind him.

What the heck was that? I could hear him lock the door and then the jingle of keys as he left. This surprised me; was he so irritated with me that he couldn't come up with a remark to belittle my response to his question?

I shrugged. It didn't matter, at least not to me. I walked about the room, checking for cameras or bugs before I put my foot on the bed, reaching into my shoe. I pulled out a pen and took off the cap so that I could use the tip to slip into the knot of my bounds. It took me a few moments to work the knot loose, but I had time.

With those off, I took the pen and took it apart, taking out a small laserlight. I went to the window and cut the bars slowly so the sound of the laser melting the metal didn't alert the possible guards outside my door. The window proved to be difficult since it seemed like it had not been opened for a good amount of time, but I managed by easing it open with violent jerks.

I stuck my head out of the window and looked out. We were still in my neighborhood? I saw my apartment on the other side of the street, three buildings down.

Oh, the Joker _did_ have a sense of humor, despite how twisted it was. He must have had his goons drive us around for several hours to create the illusion that I was lost in Gotham.

Oh, yeah, har har...he was funny all right.

I climbed out, standing on the window sill and moving onto a skinny ledge. I held onto the top of the window while using my foot to close it. I still closed it slowly though it still make a great deal of unwanted noise.

I wasn't afraid of the possibility of the Joker catching me; no matter _what_ he put in my path, I could make a way out. My pen - that I had tugged behind my ear to hide in my long hair - proved that.

Moving along the ledge, I had to be careful when I didn't have a window to hold onto. From my work as a thief, I had basically prepared myself for something like this. I almost laughed when I thought that honest policemen couldn't catch me when a criminal mastermind, such as the madman Joker, could do it easily.

I reached the fifth window away from mine. I felt a sharp pain in my head, followed by a gentle tingle. Curious, I peeked into the window, finding it open. Glancing into the room, I nearly gasped out loud, but I managed to clap my hand over my mouth before I made a sound.

The Joker was laying on his back on the bed. He still wore his clothing and makeup. The makeup was smudged in most places, gone in a few. He was sprawled on the bed as if he had thrown himself onto it. In one of his gloved hands, he held one of his knives in a loose grip. His other hand occasionally twitched. Even in his sleep, his scars resembled his smile, even if his lips were relaxed.

I crouched on the windowsill, watching his chest rise and fall in a rhythmic matter. Maybe that's why he left me without a remark and why he had shaken his head so violently; he was crashing!

A thought crossed my mind. Maybe his body worked like mine. He could function well for twenty-two hours before crashing completely for two. Or maybe he was up for twenty-_three _hours. He seemed like the kind of guy who would do that, since he was a criminal at all times of the day. He must have been at his limit when he kidnapped me. Too bad his tired work was going to waste.

I shook my head and started moving again. Even if he only slept for an hour, I still had little time which I had to use carefully. I reached the emergency stairs and climbed down. I glanced up at the Joker's window, half-expecting to find him looking out, but I saw nothing. I ran back to my apartment.

My headache had not eased off. I reached my apartment and walked about in the dark. If I turned on a light, the Joker or one of his men would know, even if they were watching my prison door.

I didn't bother changing my clothes; the Joker would be able to tell. I packed my bag full of my work stuff and a few other necessities. For my headache, I grabbed some Tylenol with a glass of water. Just before I headed out, I grabbed my gun, clicking it to my belt along with some ammo.

I perched on the windowsill to the Joker's room, several minutes later, looking in. He was gone!

I didn't really think about what I was going to do. There were so many options. I could go back to my prison room, could enter through the Joker's room, or I could run for it. Depending on my choice, I would have more choices. I could have planned everything, but actually meeting the Joker caused me to experiment with his way of thinking.

He had said he wasn't a schemer, not openly but subtly. It seemed as though he moved depending on his mood at a particular moment. I wanted to try this, I wanted to just _do_ things without thinking of the consequences.

I slipped into the Joker's room and explored. From the mess in his room, I knew one thing; he didn't care. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't care about his life either.

I moved out into the hallway, pulling out my gun and putting it on silent. I walked along the edge of the halls to avoid unwanted creaks of the floor. I passed a noisy room, which sounded like there was a TV going and men talking loudly. I personally would have hated the noise, but I was having fun, creeping around like this.

Silently, I crept down the hallway and stopped at a turn, peeking around the corner.

That's when the Joker appeared, holding a gun of his own at my head from behind.

* * *

**Lordlink13: I'm loving the encouragement. I just might burst with it. Keep it coming. And just a question for whoever it was who claimed that Shadow was causing the Joker to make a run for his money...um, why would she make him run for the money that he doesn't care anything about? I'd get it if you had said that she made the Joker run for his reputation, but really, _his money_? Not seeing that as something the Joker would do. All the same, loved the little debate you had my mind going through. Had me wired for several days and now I have a headache, but I'll keep going, no worries.  
**


	6. Chapter 6

"Enjoying yourself, Tiger?" the Joker asked. "Sneaking out and returning...Most victims would have, ah, run to the police. You're very unpredictable."

"I can say the same thing for you," I told him.

He smirked. "Drop the gun," he ordered. Instead, I attached it to my belt, clicking a safety lock onto it. The Joker reached for the weapon, but when he tugged on it, he couldn't get it off. He pushed the gun aside in his thoughts, seeing that I wasn't a threat with the gun on my belt.

"Mind explaining, ah, why you were being a peeping tom?" the Joker asked. "Those who see me sleeping tend to not...last very long. Not even my own men...look in on me."

"I was simply passing your window, Joker." The Joker gave me a calculating look, and I wondered if he didn't like being called by his title. "Or can I call you Mister J?" I asked. He pushed his gun into my head roughly. The pressure caused my headache to throb more painfully, despite the Tylenol I had taken a few minutes ago. I winced as the Joker relaxed.

"Mister J's fine," the Joker decided finally. He tilted his head to the side. "And what might I call you?"

"I thought you already decided to call me 'Tiger'," I said.

"I'll give you another chance for a name." He was being so _generous_.

"Shadow," I answered, simply.

"Shadow?" the Joker repeated, "_The _Shadow?"

"No, just Shadow."

"Just Shadow...that's a good one." He started laughing, and I glared at him. He was only being funny, I told myself, but that didn't stop me from getting angry with him.

"Sure," I said through clenched teeth, hoping he'd get my point.

"And where was _that_ going to be in your name?" He was still giggling, but I could tell he did see that this was irritating me. Payback for before he fell asleep, I supposed.

"If you keep this up," I warned.

"What will you do?" the Joker asked, ceasing his laughter. "You know, you remind me of someone."

"And who might that be?" I asked. "Batman, an ex-girlfriend?"

He laughed. "Not even close, Shadow," he said. I narrowed my eyes. "Keep guessing," the Joker promoted. "I wanna see if, ah, if you can guess who."

I rolled my eyes, but let him have his way. Why did I care? "Your mother, a sister, a best friend, an enemy, your father, a grandparents, aunt, uncle, pet, a victim..." I stopped, watching him shake his head as he giggled. "...You...I remind you of yourself."

The Joker burst out laughing. "Of course," he said, taking his gun away from my head. I had completely forgotten that it had been there. He turned me around and shoved my back into the wall. The Joker stood in front of me, placing his hands by either side of my head.

His tongue flicked out, slowly sliding along his lips and up one of his scars. "If you had the chance to leave here," the Joker began, "Why did you come back, Shadow?"

I met his eyes, seeing the curiosity reflected in them. I shrugged.

He narrowed his eyes, turning his head slightly and sucking on his lower lip. "I don't want a shrug; I want a _verbal _answer."

"I wanted to try out your method," I replied.

The Joker seemed shocked as well as interested. "_My_ method?"

"Of how you just _do_ things." It looked like he was confused. "You go by how you feel. You let things happen. You don't try to control it like _schemers_..." I said the last word slowly as to emphasize my point. I already knew that he didn't like "schemers" as he called them.

The Joker's scarred mouth turned up in a triumphant smile. "_Now _we're talking," he commented, shifting his weight back and forth. He licked his lips and then asked, "And what do you _think_...about my method of things, Shadow?"

I finally allowed my own mouth to turn up into an easy grin. "It's an unique way of doing things, much more..._interesting_."

The Joker nodded, subtly asking me to go on.

"It's actually a more intense way of doing things since you don't know what's going to happen. You can't be completely prepared for the consequences."

The Joker shifted again, grinning from ear to ear. He was waiting for a particular response, and I knew what it was. I gave it to him.

"It's more _fun_."

The Joker started laughing, the laugh causing chills to run down my spine. "I find it..._amusing_ as to how fast you seemed to figure me out," he remarked, in a sing-song voice. "And you've only been with me for hardly six hours!"

"I doubt I figured you out completely, Mister J," I told him. "I don't understand how you can enjoy killing people."

"What do you like to do during your free time?" the Joker asked. He had stopped laughing and had become very serious, too serious for my liking.

"A great deal of things-."

"Give me one that you like."

I thought of the list. I didn't want to give away anything about myself, but I don't lie to people. "Rollerblading," I finally said.

"What's your favorite sport?"

"Soccer."

"Do you play an instrument?"

"I fiddle on a keyboard."

The Joker grinned again. "You don't do those things for concerts or teams or contests? Just for _fun_?"

"No," I said, "Just for fun."

"I'm the same with killing people, especially people who deserve to die."

My stomach churned. "You haven't killed everyone who deserves to die, yet. You didn't kill Batman!'

"Batman's a different story to be told at a different time," the Joker said dismissively, gesturing with his hand like he was dismissing his main rival.

"Then, what about the others?" I asked. "Poison Ivy, Catwoman, the Riddler, the Penguin?"

"You're comparing _me_ with _schemers_?" The Joker laughed. "What about them?"

"You have no connection with them?"

"Dear Shadow," the Joker said, caressing my cheek with the back of his gloved hand. "Since when did the criminals of Gotham City join together? _Especially _when we're all fighting for the top. I honestly could care less. The reason I refuse to join with them is that they want Batman dead."

"And you want him alive because you enjoy your little fights."

"Why, sure," the Joker said, casually. "He's too much, ah, fun to get rid of. Even with the other so-called criminals, Gotham's more fun _with_ Batman than _without_."

"But if you join with the others, you can find out their plans and mess them up."

"I'll leave that to Batman, or I'll mess up the others' plans _without_ joining them." The Joker pushed off the wall, stepping away from me. "I've enjoyed the little debate," he said, "But I'd like to ask you a question. What are you going to do?"

"What?" I asked, confused. He had completely changed the subject.

"What are you going to do now?" the Joker asked. "So many options lay before you. I'll lay out the simplest one first. You going to be a schemer or a dog?"

"Such a hard question," I remarked, sarcastically.

He grinned and licked his lips. "Choose one," the Joker ordered, bubbling with excitement. "We're going to see how you do in _my_ realm."

* * *

**Lordlink13: *in a sing-song voice* Love it! Love it! Love the encouragement! *normal voice* Keep up the reviews. I have many ideas for this story, and I'll hint now that I actually have ideas for a possible sequel. I refuse to guarantee that I'm gonna write a sequel cause I need to make sure that this one was a success first. I'll let you all know as soon as I'm sure of the sequel idea.**

**Shadow: And don't worry about the headache, it helps her feel more like me, helps her make me more lifelike.**

**Lordlink13: And the new chapter every other day is just a thing for now. I'll slow down at some point - not on purpose though, I promise.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

"Why would I be a dog?" I asked.

The Joker shook his head, causing his green hair to fly. "That's what I am. A dog chasing cars."

It was a metaphor. I understood that, but I didn't see the reasoning behind it.

He must have seen the confusion in my expression because he went on to explain. "I don't, ah, think about what I'm gonna do with the car once I catch it. I just run after it in the hopes of catching it."

I laughed, the image of the Joker running after a car flashing across my mind. He smirked, licking his lips again.

"Choose one," he pressed, "And depending upon what you say, I'll have to decide what to do with you."

"All right, I'm the dog's shadow."

"The Joker's Shadow?" He seemed to consider this. "You'll have to prove yourself worthy of a title like that."

"Fine then, test me," I promoted, confidently.

He shook his head. "Not now, Shadow, some other time." I looked at him curiously, and then, I was aware of two of his goons standing motionless at the end of the hall. "Not now," the Joker repeated in a quieter tone.

He turned swiftly, causing his two men to jump. "And what do you want?" he asked. He didn't say it harshly.

"Boss, she's out," one of the idiots said.

"I've noticed," the Joker replied. "She's right here." He motioned to me, and then he decided to turn his head. "Are you going to be a good girl now?" he asked me.

I smirked. "I promise."

He grinned and then looked at his men. "And everything's settled. Put her, ah, back into her room and make sure she _stays _there this time." As his goons moved forward, the Joker leapt up to me and kissed me.

Before I could react, he pulled away, holding up my pen which he had gotten out of my hair. He held out a hand, and I disarmed myself, handing over my pack of items. The Joker handcuffed my hands behind my back, and as he did, he gave me a challenging smirk, licking his lips.

His goons led me back to my room, but I glanced back to see the Joker laughing and holding up my pack and gun to emphasize his challenge.

I was up for it.

Once back in my room, I sat down on the bed and considered my situation. I couldn't plan my escape; that wasn't the Joker's challenge.

So I went down the list. My situation: handcuffed, in a locked room, more likely to be guarded this time, and no items of my own. Screw the last thing; my watch had things I could use, but I wanted to leave those in reserve. I didn't know if I had a time limit, but sooner was better than never.

First things first, I had to get the handcuffs off, or at least get them in front of me. The latter was easier done than said. I stepped through the loop of my arms, thankful for my small stature.

I sat on the floor with my handcuffed hands in my lap. I faced each wall of the room with sharp eyes for several minutes before turning to the next. With the four walls memorized, I faced the door and closed my eyes.

I pictured the room's walls in my mind, seeing everything clearly. I was always one with the sharpest memory in my class; I just never revealed it. I relaxed my body, becoming still. If the Joker walked in, he probably would have figured I was mediating.

Ha, ha, the joke's on him!

I noted everything metal in the room, being the new bars on the window and the bed frame. I could use it as a weapon or a possible picklock for my handcuffs. Either way, it would be useful.

As I moved over to the bed, the door opened. By the heavy footsteps, I doubted it was the Joker.

"Not going to get out this time," the idiot said, confidently.

"I doubt that," I told him, kneeling by the bed. "I've never remained locked up for more than six hours." I swear, if this guy tried to hit on me...it was bad enough with the Joker being the daredevil.

I didn't hear the door close so I glanced over my shoulder. I sensed little danger from him so I wasn't worried, and neither was I surprised when he tried to jump me.

I left him unconscious on the floor, a nasty bruise forming on his forehead. I went back to work with searching the metal frame of the bed.

My hands felt a loose bit, and I twisted it free. However, I hid it behind one of the bed legs, moving to search the man for a key or something. I found a pick lock. So that's how he got in! Couldn't resist the shadowy chick, could he?

I heard footsteps and moved to sit on my bed. Three men came into the room, holding guns.

The leading man spotted the unconscious fellow on the ground, and his face turned red with rage. However, before he could speak, there was the sound of someone clearing his throat.

The three men stepped aside to see the Joker standing in the hallway.

"Are we having a, ah, _party _in here?" the Joker asked.

"Boss, we just came looking for John," a man said, but the Joker pulled out a knife and began twirling it in full view; obviously it was his only warning, if he felt like giving one.

The Joker's eyes caught the sight of his unconscious man on the floor, and then he looked up at me. Our eyes met, but then, his lowered to see me trying to pick the lock on my handcuffs. The corners of his scarred mouth twitched.

"Bob," the Joker said. He was still looking at me, which confused his men. "You should have known to leave the lady alone." My eyes narrowed, and I could see his shoulders shake as he tried to hold back his laughter.

"We had to get-," the leading man - probably the one called Bob - began.

Suddenly, the Joker stood in front off him, grabbing his head and holding a knife to his mouth. "You know, Bob," the Joker said, "You were always the serious one. You really outta _smile_ more."

I rolled my eyes and averted them to my handcuffs. I didn't really want to see the Joker slice open his man's mouth. It didn't seem necessary, but I wasn't going to argue with the Joker. Let him do whatever he wanted. At the most, I'd have one less guy to worry about.

I heard a shuffle and looked up curiously. The Joker had released Bob, merely looking into his eyes. That's when I noticed that the Joker was shorter than his own men, yet his men was terrified of him.

Bob finally averted his eyes to the floor. "Sorry, Boss," he mumbled.

"What was that?" the Joker asked, tilting his head so that he was in Bob's averted vision. He had clearly heard what the poor man said.

"Sorry." He forced himself to look up into his boss's eyes, but his boss didn't seem to like that. The Joker jabbed him in the gut with his knife. Bob grunted in pain, doubling over, and then slumped to the ground.

"Get these two out of here," the Joker ordered. The remaining two men came forward, grabbing Bob and John - the latter giving me a cautious glance before dragging the unconscious man out of the room.

The Joker remained where he was, forcing his two men to drag the remaining out the room around him. He stood stock-still until it was just him and me. The only thing not still on him was his still twitching mouth. The Joker finally released his smile as he approached me.

"Quite intelligent, aren't you?" he said, holding out a hand, twitching two of his fingers.

I played the part of a pouting child as I slapped his hand away once he was close enough. "Finders-keepers," I told him.

He pounced on me, wrestling me for the picklock. I growled at him, and he burst out laughing, grabbing my handcuffs. He was strong; I must have told myself that so many times now. Shouldn't it have sunken in yet?

I rolled over onto my stomach, yanking my handcuffs away from the Joker and hiding them underneath me. The Joker's arms wrapped around me, his hands easily slipping underneath me. He reached my hands, but then he stopped. I stopped, clenching the picklock. What was going through his crazy mind?

The Joker pressed his cheek against mine, and he inhaled deeply. I became still, my headache coming back. The throbbing hurt, but I forced my expression to remain stoical. I focused on what the Joker was doing, breathing in my scent or something.

"No fear," he murmured, distractedly, close to my ear.

"Do you really think you're a dog?" I asked him, pulling away slightly so I could turn my head.

The Joker grinned as he shifted so he could see my face better. "Give me it," he ordered.

"What's 'it'?" I asked, innocently. I was toying with him, and he actually seemed to be enjoying it.

"You know, ah, _perfectly _well, Shadow. Hand it over." I shook my head, smiling playfully. The Joker slid his hands up my front, and I elbowed him in the chest. He grunted as the wind was knocked out of him, but he started laughing as soon as he breathed again. "You don't need a picklock to _slip_ out of the handcuffs, Shadow."

"Oh..." I said, to make him smile again. I shifted so that my back was to him. I felt him shift, like he wanted to see, but I moved with him until he bounced off the bed and jumped on me again. Then, I held up my hands, handcuff free.

The Joker started laughing. "You know how to, ah, to ruin one's fun," he remarked.

"I know only because I'm a very observant person," I told him.

"I can tell," he said. He kissed me lightly on the cheek, and I shivered as my head throbbed painfully. "The challenge still holds, Shadow. But I want to give you a time limit. You have an hour."

He was bringing up the stakes just because I managed to slip out of the handcuffs! _Ever SO generous!!_

The Joker giggled as he bounced off me and skipped to the door. He held up his knife as he turned gracefully, facing me. Tapping his chin with the blade, he said, "One hour, Shadow. Otherwise, I'll be leaving without you." Before I opened my mouth, the Joker closed the door again.

* * *

**Lordlink13: Review encouragement is always welcome from all directions! I take them to heart.  
**


	8. Chapter 8

What the heck? Hinting at something to make me work faster and under pressure? That son of a-!

No, calm down. You need to focus.

I looked about the room again, and then glanced at the picklock still in my hand. The Joker was beginning to confuse me, but then, he _was_ unpredictable.

With the picklock, along with the metal piece, I went over to the door, but I looked up, noticing a water pipe in the ceiling. It looked sturdy enough so I backed up and then took a running leap, just managing to grab the thick pipe.

I kicked the door on purpose and then placed my feet on the top of the door frame.

A different goon opened the door, and he peeked in. I let my feet drop, to slam into the back of the guy's head. He fell forward, and I dropped, picking up his dropped gun. Then, I handcuffed him and used a part of the bedsheet to gag him. Taking the weapon, I slipped out into the hallway.

After closing the door, I crept down the hallway, checking over my shoulder every few steps. The Joker wasn't going to catch me off guard again.

I stopped at the same corner as before and noticed a camera in the corner, facing me. Diving under it, I reached up and pulled out a blue wire, knowing that it would freeze the image.

I continued down the hallway, becoming aware of my easing headache. Why was it acting up tonight? It had been about six hours since I first saw the Joker out in the street. Was it because of him?

Suddenly, a painful explosion erupted in my head. I whimpered, grasping my head tightly. The world spun around me as I tried to make my way to the nearest room. I had more of a chance of going without getting caught if I hid in a random room.

I collided with the door, falling to my knees as my free hand groped for the doorknob. The throbbing interrupted my thoughts, but I managed to turn the knob, collapsing inside.

A wave of pain pulsed through my body. I jerked, moving out of the way of the door. With my teeth clenched, I pressed my head down, my hands scratching the floor. The agony! My foot jerked violently, kicking the door closed.

My vision went black, but I still felt dizzy. I lay still, trying not to focus on how dizzy I felt. The pain pulsed, but I could ignore it more than the dizzy feeling. My stomach churned, and I was glad I hadn't eaten anything for several hours.

The pain, dizziness, and nausea...I couldn't concentrate, and it was because I couldn't think straight that I didn't notice that suddenly I was standing.

No thoughts went through my head. I don't know how to explain it. It was like watching myself from both my point of view and from a bystander's at the same time.

I drifted down the hallway and turned to face a door. I pressed my ear to it and listened. I could hear the Joker humming to himself, and I opened the door.

He stood by the window, shifting his weight back and forth, from side-to-side. This was the Joker when he was out dealing with Batman and the other villains. This was the Joker when he was with his own men. This was him when he was alone...

This wasn't him when he was with me. He was only half of his criminal self.

I shook my head and then noticed a clock nearby. It said it was three thirty-two in the morning.

I felt a yank from behind, but there was no one behind me. It wasn't a physical pull; I would have thought it was just a trick of my imagination if a pulse hadn't gone through my head, reawakening my headache.

I closed my eyes, letting everything go black again, but then, I was aware of something cold on my cheek.

I opened my eyes to find myself in a room, lying on the floor.

What had happened? I was sure that I had reached the Joker in time.

I felt shaky as I pushed myself up on my hands and knees. The dizziness had faded, but the feeling of nausea remained. Every movement made me want to retch. I finally gave in and laid back on the ground, the feeling of the cold floor easing the nausea a bit.

My head still hurt; the throbbing continued. I closed my eyes again, trying to calm my heavy breathing. The world began to spin again.

I tried to think, to figure out what was wrong with me. I thought of everything, trying to bring up a reason for whatever was happening to me.

A memory of the past flared into my mind. I saw myself at the age of fourteen, reading on a park bench, alone. Reading was one of my escapes from the cruel world that took away my family. The characters in books were my only true friends; they would never betray me, not like so many "real" people had.

I remembered only friend from middle school who had vanished halfway through the year. He was a natural rebel, always trying to be funny - the class clown - but I could see that he shared a kind of loneliness like mine. We were alike in many ways, but to think that we were close to the same when our families were two different kinds...

Fourteen, reading a book, my friend had been gone for two or three years. That day of that memory, he came to me. I heard his voice, I heard him behind me, I heard his laughter. I could picture what he looked like the last time I saw him, but...that day, I never saw his face.

I tried to remember it completely, but it faded, escaping my reaching grasp.

It happened again, but I was more aware of what was going on. It was like my conscience had been split in two. I was aware of laying on the cold floor, feeling dizzy and nauseous, but I was also aware of standing right outside the Joker's door, having a pounding headache.

I remembered the Joker's challenge and knew that I had to be standing outside his door so that I could walk in. However, I couldn't move, at least not as the conscience that stood outside the door. I moved on the floor with jerks, nothing more.

Trapped between two consciences, I didn't know what to do. How was I going to get back to one of them? Was this some kind of supernatural ability?

I tried to pull myself towards the conscience outside the Joker's door, and...I fell forward, right into the room.

I collapsed onto the floor, but I forced myself back to my feet. I clenched a nearby table, trying to focus. My breathing was heavy, and my head still hurt. However, the nausea and dizziness were gone.

The Joker turned, a grin on his face. He didn't seem surprised with my sudden appearance into the room since I hadn't opened the door. He probably figured that I had managed to get in without a sound.

I noticed that he had his chain watch in his hand.

"One more second, and you would have, ah, been late," he said, slipping the watch into his pant pocket. "You made it just in time. Welcome to the team, Shadow."

"I'm not done yet," I told him, firmly. I walked over to a chair and saw my bag and gun. I opened my bag and took out a grenade.

The Joker came up behind me, and I freaked. My conscience split again, and I moved so that I stood behind him. I became one and jumped on him from behind.

The Joker and I tumbled forward into the chair, tipping it over. I wrestled him, trying to avoid being the one on the bottom. He stopped suddenly, but not for long. The Joker started giggling, and I felt as if I recognized the giggle from somewhere.

I was distracted. The Joker rolled over and then trapped me on the floor. He was still laughing. I narrowed my eyes in irritation.

"Shadow, you're quite the fighter," the Joker complimented. "I just wonder, ah, how you managed to get behind me so _quickly_."

I couldn't lie to him, but I didn't know how to explain it. I hardly knew what was going on myself. "I don't know," I answered.

"Well, find out and, ah, let me know." The Joker immediately rolled off me and bounced to his feet. "Come along," he invited, pulling me to my feet violently.

"Where are we going?" I asked him, grabbing my bag and gun.

The Joker turned to me right in front of the door. "That's a, ah, a surprise," he said, opening the door, "You'll have to wait and see, Shadow."

* * *

**Lordlink13: All right, sorry I didn't add this chapter yesterday. It was Mother's Day. And I was busy all weekend. There's another thing. My school just blocked fanfiction so I can't add things during my study block, which is usually where I upload so sorry if you come home and go straight on the computer to read the next chapter cause it's not going to be on there until I'm done with homework...and I have to be home at the same time. So, sorry, we'll have to reschedule things a tad just cause my school's stupid.**** Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone can figure out what Shadow's _ability-ah_ is. I'll give you a hint though for the whole idea of her ability. It turns out to be multiple abilities that are related, making them one ability. Try to figure out what she used in this chapter and tell me what you think.  
**


	9. Chapter 9

The Joker shook his head. "Where's, ah, Ryan?" he asked.

"He was supposed to be guarding the girl," one of his men replied.

"I wasn't _asking you._" The man cringed as I realized that the Joker had been asking me. He headed down the hallway back to my prison room, and I followed, curious about his reaction.

Opening the door, the Joker caught sight of Ryan and started laughing. "How'd you do it?" he asked.

"That's a, ah, a secret," I responded, trying to imitate him. The Joker laughed as he gestured for the now conscious John to deal with Ryan.

The Joker motioned me back, and I backed up into the hallway. He skipped past me, managing to smack my cheek lightly as he went by. It didn't hurt, but I still narrowed my eyes.

If he thought he could use me in any way he wanted, he was _dead_ wrong!

The Joker ran down the stairs two steps at a time. He bounced once on the landing and then raced down the next flight. I ran after him, listening to his giggling as he enjoyed himself. The Joker's men came farther behind me, and I heard the Joker shout, "You're all slow!" from the bottom.

I shook my head and then ran down in a similar fashion. I couldn't stop on the bottom, but the Joker stood there, his arms out wide. I slammed into him, causing him to burst out laughing.

"You're learning, Shadow," the Joker told me. He kissed my forehead and then released me, skipping off toward the door. However, he stopped in the doorway and turned slightly. "You need anything?"

I knew he meant, "You need anything else from your apartment," but I wanted something else. "Explain to me how you lost Batman and got to my apartment so fast, along with how you know who I was."

Without responding, the Joker turned away and went outside. So he wasn't going to explain it to me. That was fine with me. I'd figure it out at some point.

The Joker waited by the passenger door, holding it open. I halted, glaring at him. He was _completely_ unpredictable, such an _actor!_

"Thank you ever so much," I said, climbing into the front seat, "But are you now going to leave me here and blow me up, or are you having me sit next to one of your goons?"

The Joker stared at me. "Ya know," he said, "I doubt you know everything about me."

"I told you that I doubted my own knowledge about you," I said.

"Don't interrupt," the Joker said, lightly slapping my cheek. He licked his lips as his eyes darted about. "I find it amusing, ah, how you'll say one thing yet your expression contradicts whatever you said. It's like a guessing game, to figure out what your real _emotion_ is."

"It comes with practice," I told him, "Even with practice, only one person has managed to read past my expression."

"And who might he be?" the Joker asked.

I looked at him, suspiciously. "What makes you think it's a 'he'?"

His men came out of the apartment then. He closed my door and then motioned to one of his men. It was Bob's face that fell as he handed over the keys to the Joker. Before he got away, the Joker shoved him down to the ground.

I thought the Joker was going to start beating him, but it seemed as though the Joker's mood had changed. He walked around the front of the car and climbed into the driver's seat. His men got in the back as the Joker started up the SUV.

I quickly turned on the radio, watching the Joker out of the corner of my eyes. His hand had stopped halfway to the radio, and he was looking at me. Then, he reached the rest of the way, changing the station to classical music.

I looked at him, meeting his eyes. He was grinning. Was this another of his games?

I reached over to change the station, but his hand snapped out, grabbing my wrist. I smiled. "You lose," I said. I jerked my foot onto his, which had just moved over to the gas.

The car jerked as it lunged forward. The Joker tried to lift his foot, but I kicked his shin with my free foot.

The car sped down the street, nearly hitting sixty miles per hour. The Joker's hand released my wrist and reached for my throat. I ducked away, laughing in his face. My seatbelt wasn't on so I opened my door, lifted my foot off his, and jumped out of the car.

I landed in a roll on the ground, yet it still hurt to hit the pavement. I laid there, laughing. Boy, that was fun! I wondered if that was how he had lost Batman. The Joker had jumped out of the speeding car close to my apartment. Since his men's apartment was close by, he had gone there to get some of them, got the SUV, and then came to my place.

It seemed like the closest assumption of how he did it. And I think I understood how he was in the apartment; he had gotten in minutes before me. For all I knew, the SUV had been parked in front of my apartment building, and with my headache, I hadn't noticed.

The SUV was back, and I still lay on the ground, laughing. The Joker got out of the car calmly as two other men from the back did the same, except they were giving me strange looks. I looked up at the Joker as he crouched by my head.

"Unpredictable," he rumbled.

"Is _that_ how you got away from Batman?" I asked.

The Joker nodded. "Went back to the hideout to get some guys to get to your apartment before you got there."

"The SUV was there already?"

"Ah, _yeah_."

So…I was beginning to figure out how he thought things over. Still over six hours, and I was getting on this guy emotionally and mentally.

"All right, two options, Shadow," the Joker said, lifting up two fingers. He dropped one. "One…you stay here. Two…" He raised the one he dropped. "You sit in the back with me and Bob."

"What would you choose?" I asked.

"That has nothing to do with it."

"It's like your choice of whether or not to kill Batman."

"We've been through this before. Batman's a different story."

"Tell me where we're going and what we're doing, and I just might cooperate with you."

The Joker looked at me, licking his lips as he thought for a moment. Finally, he let out a sigh. "Iceberg Lounge," he replied, "We're going to visit Oswalk Cobblepot."

I stared at him in confusion.

The Joker grinned. "You don't know?" He giggled. "Cobblepot is the criminal Penguin."

* * *

**Lordlink13: So school's getting busy cause I have about a month worth of days left but I'll keep working for you all.**** I won't die if someone does review all that often. The reviews are great, and I now have someone who likes precise writing. I'm not picking on them; I'm just saying that a story doesn't have to be absolutely perfect. Last I checked, this person was back in the first few chapters so they'll be awhile to catch up. At least I'm not screaming at them for suggesting changes in my writing. I write my own stories so usually I catch grammer and spelling, but even the best make mistakes. And another thing, I don't want to hear a fuss over how short some of the chapters can be. I'm _trying_ to bring in a new chapter every other day; that's my goal. I promise, this is forming up to be a very detail and deep story so there will be _MANY_ chapters as far as I can tell. For all other readers, keep up the reviews and no worries if you don't review me for awhile; I won't _personally_ hunt you down. I don't know about Shadow though...**

**Shadow: Don't worry, _I'll_ be after you.**

**Lordlink13: Don't take her seriously. Keep up the reviews!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Lordlink13: I apologize to my readers. I haven't added a chapter for about a week. Things have been rather crazy so I truly am sorry. To make it up for you all, I'm adding three chapters in right now.**

* * *

"The Penguin?" I asked. We were back in the car with me sitting between the Joker and Bob. The Joker's arm was draped over my shoulder, and I saw no point in trying to move it; I'd already tried several times and he would just replace his arm. If he wanted it there, I had to deal with it, whether I liked it or not.

"We're not going to talk about that any farther," the Joker said, plainly. "I already have you going by how you feel. I don't want a _schemer_ in the group."

"Fine," I said, "Change of subject. How do you know me?"

"Live in the, ah, same neighborhood."

"No, by the way you react…" I touched my chin to his arm for a moment. "It seems as though you've known me for longer than a month."

"Ah, a month?"

"I've only _been_ in Gotham for a month! You know me personally…or you did at one point or another."

The Joker turned his head to look me in the eyes. "Can you prove it?" he asked.

"I can." He looked at me, strangely. I hadn't hesitated when I had answered. A smile appeared on my face; again, the joke was on him. "Do you want me to?"

"Some other time," he said with a grin. "We're here." He didn't take away his arm until he had opened his door. After he got out, the Joker held out his hand to assist me, and even when I didn't take it, he managed to assist me anyway.

While we waited, with his arm around my waist, for his men to arm themselves and get their clown masks, the Joker brought his mouth close to my ear.

"Why do you wait?" I asked quietly before he could say anything.

"Wait for what?"

"Wait for my proof that you've known me for many years."

"I wouldn't say years, _dar_-ling." I stepped on his foot, digging in my heel. He laughed it off quietly, obviously not feeling the pain. "You're touchier with that name than Tiger."

"How would you like it if I called you a lunatic?" I demanded. His switchblade was instantly as my throat. "I prove my point."

"We're two of a kind, Shadow," the Joker whispered in my ear. "Yet we're different in how we react to the world."

"How's that?"

"I find the world's faults laughable. You, on the other hand, simply play with the world's faults, being aware of them but not doing much to change them. You're so, ah, _serious_."

"You obviously have a problem with that," I told him, and he laughed. "Such a funny man, can't stand a serious woman."

"Hardly," the Joker said, "You just don't know how to laugh." I stared at him. He was making a bold statement. Was he aware that he was walking on the edge?

Maybe he was aware. The Joker simply didn't care.

"We're ready, Boss," Bob announced.

"I can, ah, _see _that." The Joker turned me around and led me into the nightclub that the Penguin owned.

I didn't bother with memorizing what the club looked like. It went after its name. I did notice men here and there in dark clothing with black bowler hats. These men had to be the Penguin's henchmen. Who else would wear a certain costume that matched several others'?

The Joker gestured with a hand for his goons to move in. They all separated, looking like natural patrons of the nightclub coming to enjoy some drink. The Joker released me and went about the perimeter of the main room to avoid being noticed. I followed his train of thought, except I took the other side of the room. He happened to glance in my direction and gave me the slightest of nods.

When he stopped at the bar, leaning against it, I halted, close enough so I could overhear what he was going to say.

"Ah, if it isn't the Riddler," the Joker said. He was standing near a sitting man in a green jacket.

The Riddler jerked, startled. "Ruh-riddle me this!" he exclaiming in surprise.

The Joker flicked open his switchblade – it probably wasn't opened when he had placed it to my neck. "I don't want a riddle; I'm, ah, not in the _mood_." The Joker sat down next to the Riddler. "It seems as though you and the Penguin are working together. I find no problem in that," he added before the Riddler protested. "I'm just wondering where the Kitten is, and I know that the Penguin knows where she is."

"Why do you want to know?" the Riddler asked, clearing his throat.

"Why don't you stop trying to scare the Big Bird away and find out," the Joker retorted. From my position, I couldn't see anything that the Riddler could be using to warn the Penguin with. Instead, I saw the man Cobblepot, also known as the Penguin.

He was short with an obese problem. His beak-like nose reminded me of birds, which brought about his criminal title in the first place. The top of the Penguin's head was bald, except the remaining hair was long and stringy. He wore spectacles, and he seemed to have suffered some sort of hip ailment. He waddled when he walked, making him seem more like the bird he named himself after.

I had a tingling sense of danger. The Penguin approached from behind the bar, and it seemed as though the Joker's attention was completely on the Riddler. When I saw the cocked gun in the Penguin's hand, that's when I snapped.

The gun fired as I moved from my spot to the place right behind the Penguin. Somehow, I managed to knock the Penguin's gun slightly to the side so that it broke the glass in the Riddler's hand rather than hit the Joker.

Both the Penguin and the Joker's henchmen stood up, pulling out guns and pointing them at either one of the criminal masterminds.

"Do you really want to make a scene, Penguin?" the Joker asked, calmly and slowly. The Riddler was nursing a hand wound.

I still held the Penguin's arm, watching the Joker for some kind of silent signal. I don't know why; since when was I part of his gang or had been appointed his bodyguard?

Everyone was looking around at the men standing and the three criminal masterminds. I started to panic. My breathing caught, and I began to gag. To save myself, I split my conscience without purposely doing it, and I appeared on the other side of the room as nothing more than a conscience.

"It has him," I shouted without thinking. Everyone looked in my direction and then at the random man was I pointing at. "He was trying to kill Mr. Cobblepot!"

The Penguin's men jumped the guy instantly. The Joker's guys sat themselves back down at a shaking gesture from their boss.

My panic over, I became one. I was still grasping the Penguin's arm, but neither he nor the Riddler was looking at me. The Joker stared at me, his red mouth and coal black eyes somehow managing to look paler.

I had scared him! I had scared the daylights out of the Joker! I smiled at him and motioned him on with a casual wave.

The Joker shook himself like a dog and called the Penguin and the Riddler's attention back. His eyes were still wide, but otherwise, he was able to cover up his fear.

"I came with nothing, ah, but a question, Big Bird," the Joker said. "Where's your little, ah, Kitten?"

"The Catwoman?" The Penguin gave a nervous, squawking laugh. "What makes you think I own her?"

"Ah, that's right. She had a _thing_ for Batman, doesn't she?" The Joker waved a hand. "Doesn't matter. Where is she?"

"Why?"

"I have a, ah, a challenge for her."

"You're going to kill her, aren't you?"

"No, my own Tiger will do that, _if _my Tiger wishes." I glared at him. I wasn't his to claim; I was going to get that straight with him once we were back at the apartment. Maybe I shouldn't have come back when I had the chance to run.

"Who's your Tiger?" the Riddler asked, obviously oblivious to me standing there.

The Joker pointed at me, and the Penguin looked at me with a wince.

"Tight grip, this one," the Penguin murmured. I had a sense that they couldn't tell I was a woman so I lowered my voice as I answered.

"Care to see how long it takes to break a bone, Birdboy?" I asked. "See how well a penguin swims without an arm?"

"No threats, Tiger," the Joker ordered. The way he said it, it didn't sound like a command but rather a request. He wanted to have a meeting, a nice one at least. I proved to him that I would be good by releasing the Penguin's arm and shoving him away from me.

The Penguin rolled up his sleeve to look at the bruise on his arm. It looked as ugly as the Joker's hand when I had nearly crushed it. It seemed as though I didn't know my own strength.

"Nasty, isn't she?" the Joker asked with a grin.

"She?" The Penguin looked at me again and jumped several steps. "Waugh!"

The Joker stood, trying to hold his giggle at the sound of the Penguin's demented squawk. He saluted the two criminals, but I saw that he was just leaving an opening for me. I pulled out the grenade the Joker had placed in my bag earlier and raised it to show to the Penguin and the Riddler.

"He might not need her, but _I_ personally would like to know the cat's whereabouts." I stared at the Penguin and added, "It would be a shame to lose such a nice nightclub."

Suddenly, we heard a noise close to the door. I looked up to see a black figure fighting one of the Penguin's henchmen.

The Joker glanced at me, and I tossed him the grenade. A spark of madness flashed across his eyes, and I knew that he hadn't planned this at all. He didn't expect that Batman was going to appear while he was talking to the Penguin.

The Joker kicked the Riddler in the chest, knocking him down easily. I knocked down the Penguin, pulling out my gun and holding it to his bald top.

"Where's the cat?" I asked.

"Out there," he answered. "She's usually out there doing her own thing. I have no control over her."

"What's her name?" I asked. "The Joker doesn't need to know. If I told him, it wouldn't be _fun_ for him. Besides, he obviously knows your name, Mister Oswalk Cobblepot."

The Penguin's eyes widened. "Selina Kyle…"

I grinned. "Thank you," I said politely, tweaking his beak of a nose.

As I stood up, I saw the Joker standing on a chair.

"Might want to retain your anger, Batman," he shouted over the chaos. Batman stopped and looked at him. He seemed to notice the grenade in the Joker's hand. "What were you expecting to find here?" the Joker asked.

My conscience split so I couldn't hear what Batman said in reply. Without thinking, I moved behind each of the Joker's men, taking them with me to the car. I took Bob last, ordering him to get the car and to drive back to the apartment.

I doubted he would listen to the latter, but he performed the former rather quick.

I went back into the Iceberg Lounge, appearing behind the bar. At that moment, my head throbbed. I held onto the bar and my head with a hand each.

My vision swam. I closed my eyes, focusing on what my ears could hear. There was a burst of laughter along with a loud crash. Batman must have jumped the Joker or thrown him across the room.

I had thought that I had numbed my sympathy to everything. Even with the Joker laughing, I was terrified. My head throbbed painfully. I know there was something familiar about that laugh. It was insane now, but I thought I had heard it before...when it was _sane_.

I opened my eyes to see the room spin. I didn't care. Through the spinning, I managed with difficultly to locate the Joker, and I moved, appearing behind him. I grabbed him about the waist, and I moved again, appearing out by the SUV.

A wave of nausea hit me. I released the Joker and collapsed on the ground, clenching my head. I heard shouting over my head, but then, my stomach couldn't take it. I jerked forward, retching on the sidewalk. The smell of it made me gag.

The dizziness was getting worse. Black dots appeared, limiting my dizzy vision to only the front. I could see nothing at the sides.

Someone had grabbed the sides of my head. All I could see was a swirl of white, red, and black. I closed my eyes, trying to diminish the dizziness, but then my head was shaking.

My ears popped, and I could hear someone calling my name. "Look at me, Shadow. Focus on me. Keep breathing. It's going to be all right."

My ears must have been deceiving me. The voice sounded like the Joker's yet it sounded...deeper, husky...like my friend's from the past, the one who had vanished.

* * *

**Lordlink13: Forgive me again for the late chapters. The seniors were leaving from my school and I have made friends with many of them. Instead of spending my time writing this fanfiction in my notebook, I've been hanging with them to get my last moments in.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Focus…_focus_…"

I blinked several times. The black dots disappeared, yet my vision still hadn't stopped swimming. I grew less dizzy, and I could actually see the Joker's features, though not his expression.

He still held my head in a tight but gentle grasp. "Shadow," the Joker said, "Focus on me. Who am I?"

"The Joker…" I shuddered, feeling a sudden chill. I felt so nauseous; I closed my eyes.

"Look at me," he ordered, sharply.

I obeyed, meeting his eyes. Everything snapped back into place, causing my eyes to water and my head to pound. I blinked to clear the tears away.

A smile appeared on my face, and laughter escaped my lips. "The Joker…has _sympathy_?" The thought of it caused me to laugh harder.

I couldn't see the Joker's face. He lifted me roughly and threw me into the backseat with one other guy. I tried to stop my giggling, but I only managed to make it quieter, a bit more controlled.

The Joker forced the man in the driver's seat out, yanking him out of the car by his collar. Bob was the driver, the unfortunate one. He scrambled to get into the back with me and John. The Joker put his foot on the gas, and the SUV sped off down the road.

My laughter finally subsided, and I focused on rubbing my temples. The throbbing was painful, and laughing so hard had not helped. My conscience threatened to split again, but I focused on the Joker's stiff, hunched shoulders as he drove, keeping my conscience whole.

As we came to a sudden stop in front of the apartment, I glanced at my watch. It was four seventeen. Seven hours and I had ticked off the Joker…or scared him out of his wits. It could only be one of the two.

His men moved to climb out of the car, but they hesitated, seeing that their boss still held onto the steering wheel.

"Go," the Joker said, his voice suddenly husky and cold. His men got out of the car without question, leaving me alone with the Joker. They kept looking back, but the Joker didn't move to get out; neither did I.

I shifted in the backseat, leaning against the right door. The Joker's left leg bounced up and down; he couldn't sit still forever, it seemed. I could see him playing with his mouth, licking his lips every now and then. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, or he could be waiting for me to start.

"So…" I said, watching him for a reaction, as well as to break the silence between us. "Should I go too or-."

"No." I stared at him, surprised that his voice was still husky. The Joker pushed back his hair with a hand, and he turned his head away from me. Was this a side of the Joker that he rarely revealed, or was he acting?

"How-?" He cut himself off. His thumbs began drumming on the steering wheel.

"You're wondering about what happened back there," I supplied.

"The voice…" The Joker refused to look at me. "Your voice, I could, ah, hear it from the other side of the room, yet you stood right in front of me." His voice hadn't returned to normal. The husky sound actually brought back memories; most importantly, it brought forth the memory of my friend.

_I sat reading the last page in my book. I was alone on the park bench. A fourteen-year-old, sitting alone on a bright summer day._

_I had only one more paragraph to read. My body naturally began to tense, even though it was not the climax. The character was talking to his lover, about to give her his answer and…_

_Two hands covered my eyes, and I opened my mouth to scream. One hand moved to cover my mouth, and I heard a suppressed fit of laughter by my ear._

"_It's been two years, Shadow, and I still find you tense over the end of the book." The voice was husky, and I recognized it immediately._

"_I can't believe it!" I exclaiming, turning my head. He stopped me._

"_I apologize, Shadow, but I...can't let you see me."_

"_Why not?"_

"_I don't want to frighten you."_

"_What is this? I haven't seen you for two years."_

"_I know, but I can't let you see me. I'm sorry, Shadow."_

"_What if I closed my eyes?"_

"_That's an idea." He wrapped something around my head. "All right, let me lead you." He paused. "Ah, unless you want to finish your book first."_

"_I can finish it some other time." I groped for my backpack where I put my book away. I slung it over my shoulder and felt him pull me to my feet._

_We embraced._

"_I missed you," I said._

"_I know you did," he replied, "I know you did."_

"_Did you miss me?"_

"_I thought of you every day."_

"_What happened?"_

"_Not now, Shadow. I'll tell you some other time." He kissed me on the cheek, but he seemed hesitant to do so. I felt something rough as he kissed me, but I didn't bother to ask him. He would only tell me 'some other time'._

_We walked side-by-side through the park, though I remained blindfolded. He led me with his hand clasped around mine._

"_Ah, you made friends, right?" He was rarely a good starter for conversation._

"_A few." I playfully stepped on his foot. He laughed. "Don't talk openly with them, but they're people to sit with and listen to."_

"_Shadow," he said with a sigh, "You can't have one friend, ah, you need more."_

_I stopped and faced him; I really wanted to see his face. "You know, it has always seemed like I'm the only one you have feelings for. I mean, you _care_ about my well-being, and from what I know about your family…" I paused, knowing I was on dangerous ground. "You don't get along well with _him_…"_

"_You still are, ah, observant. At least that hasn't changed."_

"_Tell me what happened."_

"_I told you. Some _other time_." He paused and then pulled my arm. I followed him blindly, wondering what was going on._

_He pushed me up against something, and from the feel of it, it must have been a tree._

"_Shadow," he said, "You know my feelings better than anyone. You seem to be the only one who can understand my thoughts. I have a plan for the future, but I can't let you be part of it."_

"_What are you saying?" I asked. He was beginning to scare me. "We can still be friends."_

"_No, not like that. I can't have friends."_

"_So…what are you going to do? Kill me?" Hearing it from my own mouth was comforting. I was fourteen; I was already a criminal. I had killed someone already, but I felt no shame._

"_If I must…" I was trembling as something cold touched my cheek. "Go, Shadow, become the Shadow of Shadows." He was being serious, and it frightened me._

"Shadow…"

"_Let me go."_

"_No, you have to listen to me. Let me explain!"_

"Shadow, focus!"

"_How can you assume I don't care about you?"_

"_That's not what I said, Shadow."_

"_It is!"_

My head throbbed painfully.

"Shadow, please-."

"_Stay away from me."_

"_Shadow-!"_

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed. I grabbed the door handle, trying to open it. It was locked.

The Joker threw himself into the backseat. I jerked away from him, but he grabbed me. I fought back, my head pounding. He trapped me on the seat. My neck was pressed painfully against the car door. The Joker grabbed my face, his arms pinning mine down.

"Look at me, Shadow, _look at me!_" Out of fear, I obeyed. My eyes wandered his painted face, now smudged in many places. I couldn't meet his eyes. "Shadow…you know who I am."

"Don't," I begged, "Just don't…"

"_Look _at me." My eyes met his, and I couldn't tear them away. "Say it." His tone was serious, but at least, his voice had returned to its normal sound. The memory of the husky voice scared me, but not as much as the serious tone.

The Joker stared at me, hard. "Say it, Shadow. You know I won't, ah, let you go until you say it."

I whimpered, trying to jerk my head away, but he firmly held it still. My vision blurred. "Please don't, Joker, I can't-."

"That's not my name!"

I cringed.

"Say the true one, Shadow, say it."

"No…"

"Shadow! SAY IT!"

His shout shattered the rest of my will; I couldn't fight him any longer. My fear allowed his name to slip through trembling lips.

"_Heath…Ledger…"_

_

* * *

  
_

**Lordlink13: I wanted to give the credit of this version of the Joker to Heath Ledger (RIP). Heath, this is for you.**

**Shadow: And if anyone doesn't like it, you can just deal. Otherwise, I'll come for you.**

**Joker: Heath Ledger's my pal! Don't mess, ah, with him or you all will end up in either one spot or **_**several**_**.**


	12. Chapter 12

The Joker's posture eased a bit, but his sudden grin caused me to start screaming. I didn't want him near me; I couldn't take it.

My conscience split, and I moved outside the car. I had taken the Joker with me, and his grin was gone. I kicked him in the groin and shoved him off me before I moved again.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, clenching my head as the throbbing grew very painfully. In the middle of my scream, I must have blacked out.

When I opened my eyes, I was lying on my stomach, my face in a pool of blood. I lifted a hand to touch my head and brushed a sensitive spot. Maybe I hit my head while I had been screaming.

My ears were ringing as I slowly sat up. The headache had ceased, finally.

I didn't want to move; I had too much to think about, and I was in too much pain.

Heath Ledger…I had believed he was dead. It had been ten years since that day in the park. He'd change too much…or not at all.

Eight hours…or so, and I could figure out nearly everything about the Joker.

_Name: Heath "Jack" Ledger_

_Age: 28_

_Childhood dream: To be an actor_

He was an actor, all right. It made me wonder where he went wrong.

_Pastime: Explosives_

Heath liked to play with fire, and he even set up bomb threats for the fun of it.

_BFF: Shadow_

Oh dear…I rubbed my head, wincing as my hand ran over the sensitive spot.

Where was I? I looked around, finding myself in an abandoned shack. It was large with loads of machinery and crates. The roof had large gaps, allowing sunlight to pour in. I glanced at my watch. It was ten twenty-eight; I was out for more than five hours.

During my examination of my location, I became aware that I didn't have my bag. I had left it in the SUV, one of those places I didn't want to go back to.

I sat still, wishing I could move without hurting. My body ached; _why?_ I don't know.

For the first time, I actually wondered about my ability. What was it? With my conscience splitting, I couldn't really call it astral projection. It made little sense. I could be across the room, two different places at the same time.

It had to be transporting, yet how would that explain me being in two places at one time?

It reminded me of a book I read once. The main character was a boy who could move through shadows. Maybe that's what I could do, but if I wanted to experiment, I'd have to get up.

I groaned as I stood, feeling the ache throughout my body. My neck was the most painful. Heath…no, the Joker had always been rough; I wondered if I had a bruise there.

I was _so mad_ at him.

* * *

The Joker leaned against the SUV, chewing on his lower lip. At that moment, he wasn't feeling like the Joker that Batman was after. He was _not_ in the laughing mood.

The Joker pushed off the car and kicked one of the front wheels before trying the door. Of course, it was locked…and the keys were inside!

How did she do it? She had caught him by surprise; not even _Batman_ was capable of catching him off guard like that.

With the help of a copper wire he found on the street, the Joker unlocked the car door. He reached in to grab the keys when he stopped, noticing Shadow's bag in the back. Taking it, he sat down in the passenger's seat, opening the bag.

Her wallet sat at the top. The Joker opened it to see her ID, under the name of Jane Heath. So…she wanted some way to remember him by…except there were several other IDs hidden in her wallet. He ignored them and looked at her selection of photos, finding ones of her and her family. The last one, however, was her and another.

The Joker held up the picture of Shadow as a twelve-year-old, a seventh grader, holding hands with a sixteen-year-old boy. The Joker's eyes examined the boy's face and curly hair. His gloved fingertips touched his scars, tracing them. Then, they dropped onto the boy's face, where the scars would be soon.

"Heath Ledger," he whispered. He hadn't heard his name for so long. Even as a kid, he went by his chosen name of Jack. Shadow had been the only one who called him 'Heath'.

The picture had been taken at an amusement park. He had paid for himself, having runaway from his drunk father. Oh, how he _hated_ him! But he found Shadow there, and she hadn't bothered to ask any questions of why he was there in the first place.

This was the last picture she had of him, the last one before he received his first scar.

Everyone…_everyone_ believed he was crazy. He wasn't; he was as sane as anyone else, except Shadow. Compared to her, everyone was crazy, even him.

She was the only one who understood him, only one who _knew_ him, and he had shattered that understanding by simply revealing himself as the Joker.

A madman did not feel emotions like this.

What was 'this'?

The Joker looked at his hand, the one Shadow had bruised, yet he didn't feel it. Then, he glanced at the dashboard that had a fist-sized dent. 'This' was _fury_.

The Joker took one more look at the picture before storing it in his pocket. He replaced Shadow's wallet in the bag, grabbed the car keys, and left Shadow's bag in the car.

He didn't know why, but he was going to do something he hadn't done for years. And it was all for Shadow.

* * *

A howl of pain escaped my mouth as I slammed head-first into a heap of boxes. At least they were cardboard so they didn't hurt that much. The most pain was only coming from my head wound, which had began bleeding freely again.

I laid there amongst the scattered boxes, taking into account how hungry and thirsty I was. For the past hour, I had experimented with my ability of _shadowing_. I had wanted a good name for it, not an overused word like _transporting_ or _teleporting_.

The split conscience was only part of _shadowing_. Having a shadow close by helped. Daylight didn't allow me to _shadow_, at least not with my own shadow. The distance of _shadowing_ was not determined yet since I don't know where the shack was located. I assumed it was a good distance though.

I didn't know how it worked. I needed a camera or someone to watch me and explain how it worked.

That's when I heard the sound of a skateboard.

I shadowed to a place up in the rafters, wincing as my head pounded. The conscience splitting caused the headaches…at least when I don't split it that often…I think. I wasn't really sure. The headache could also have been because I was becoming dehydrated from going without a drink for thirteen hours.

I heard a door open, and I searched for the door. A figure, holding a skateboard, stood in the doorway.

"Shadow?" It was the husky voice again, yet it was mixed with the Joker's.

I couldn't move; I was too scared.

"Shadow…I'm sorry."

No hesitation. He wasn't pausing like he usually did.

"Go away," I said, my voice sounding shaky.

The Joker dropped the skateboard and rode on it into the center of the shack. He stopped in a spot of daylight where I could see him.

I choked back a sob. It wasn't the Joker I was looking at. The Joker wore makeup. This man wasn't.

His scars were in full view; his hair had been washed. It was still wet, but it was curling in its natural state with no green hairspray. He had changed his clothing too, no purple suit. He was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. Definitely not the Joker, yet he held himself hunched over still.

I shadowed, appearing a yard in front of him. He seemed startled, but he recovered fast.

"I don't believe you."

He shifted from one foot to the others, his tongue flicking out nervously. The Joker wouldn't act like this.

"I don't expect you to forgive me," he began.

"I can't _stand_ you." My fury was getting the better of me. "Heath's dead! All that remains is the Joker! Don't come to me, pretending that Ledger's still alive! I _lost_ my _best friend_ when he told me that I couldn't be part of his new life!"

"But you are…"

I stared at him. "You're still the Joker," I insisted.

"You were more than willing to join the Joker-."

"Don't refer to yourself in third person!"

"Nonetheless, Shadow, explain why you didn't run the first chance you had when you got out the window."

I slapped him; I couldn't help it. Even as his head turned to the side, tears sprung up in my eyes. Then, I threw my arms around his neck, burying my face in his chest, and I cried.

* * *

**Lordlink13: I'll be honest. I found this chapter a bit awkward to write. I was trying to take what I know about Heath Ledger and put him in the Joker. Come on, people, the Joker's still human, just not as human as some of us.**


	13. Chapter 13

I don't know how long we stood there. My memories of Heath were flooding through my mind. I saw similarities between him and the Joker. I became aware that they were indeed the same person, just with a slightly different personality.

I looked up at him, trying to wipe my eyes. He stopped me and did it himself.

"Go back," I told him, "We can't be together. The Joker's not to have a weakness; he can't have feelings."

"I say that he _can_," the Joker insisted. His voice had returned, and it seemed strange to see him look like my best friend yet be the villain in Gotham…one of the competitors for the title of most powerful criminal mastermind.

"Just for one person though," the Joker added. Of course, he couldn't care for himself, but he could care for me. Was he not thinking? If something happened to him, how was I going to react?

I shook my head, and then I grabbed him tightly. I shadowed us back to the apartment, and he seemed dazzled a few moments before he grinned.

"Well, Shadow, it seems as though you know how to, ah, _shadow_ yourself away." It was as if he had read my mind to find out what I had called my ability.

"I suppose that's the name for it," I answered, casually. "Get back in there and I don't want to see you again."

The Joker looked at me as though I had slapped him in the face. Saying that had actually hurt him.

"Two conditions," I said, holding up two fingers like he had. "One, I have something to do first. Two, you have to be in your signature suit when I get back or else…" I let it hang there. I didn't even know the end of the threat yet, but whatever it was, it had the Joker guessing.

I shadowed away from him, into my own apartment. I gathered up some cleaner clothing, glancing out the window every now and then. The Joker seemed to be having a fit, breaking the skateboard. He was trying to break most connections with his personality as Heath. No surprise there.

I cleaned myself up, being careful of my head wound. It stung as I washed my hair, but I tried not to focus on it. I dressed in work clothes, leaving my dirty ones in my laundry bag for some other time. Then, I took out my emergency laptop and searched for the name Selina Kyle.

I looked at her picture. The Catwoman, my latest target. As far as I knew – at least what I learned from the Joker – she had a thing for Batman. Whether it was as Selina or the Catwoman, I didn't know. Nonetheless, I realized that where the Batman would be, she would be there too.

I found the address and shadowed there. It seemed as though I didn't really need to see where I was going to get there.

I stood in Selina's apartment, looking around. The woman was napping on a bookshelf.

A cat approached me, and I bent down to pet it. It meowed, and I looked up as Selina opened her eyes.

"No worry," I said, quickly, "My name's Shadow. Even if you attacked, you wouldn't be able to catch me." Now why did I tell her my name?

"What are you doing in my house?" the woman hissed.

"I came to talk. The Joker seems to have found out you have a thing for Batman."

"That stinkin' clown? What do I care what he thinks."

"It's a personal thing. He doesn't want anyone killing Batman unless it's him."

"Isn't that what all of us think?" Selina dropped to the ground, landing on her hands and feet. "I've never heard of you. You new?"

"You can say that." I shrugged. "I've been around a month, stealing various things. I did enough to capture the Joker's attention."

"He kidnapped you?"

"More or less. I got away." I wasn't planning on giving her details. "My interest is in your department. This _'thing'_ of yours with Batman, is it hate or love?"

"Every criminal hates Batman."

"I could argue with that."

"Prove it."

"The Joker. Need I say more?"

Selina sniffed in disgust. It seemed as though she had met him personally before since it looked like she was remembering his smell. Imagine her expression if I happened to tell her that the Joker still knows how to take a shower and wash his hair! "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm not. He loves having Batman around."

"He's crazy."

"Try telling him that." I would have liked to see her try. "Let me guess. You hate Batman because he stops you from stealing precious jewelry, something cats have a fancy for." I continued to pet the cat at my feet, still watching Selina closely. "I propose a truce," I told her. "It's a quite flexible truce so it can be changed as long as both of us are satisfied."

Selina motioned for me to go on.

"We both enjoy stealing. You hate Batman; I happen to remain neutral because he doesn't know I exist yet. I'd like to get to know him. In return, you get to hate him _and_ get away with all that we steal."

"You're not asking for any?"

"Don't need it. I'm not a jewelry type. I just enjoy the _tension_ of stealing." I would have said fun, but I didn't want to give her any hints that I was with the Joker.

"I'll think about it. How will I contact you?"

I tossed her a cell phone. It was a pretty cheap one so as to not attract any other likely thieves. "Goes by a code number instead of a phone number. The code for me is 4-6-2-7. Call anytime." As she looked at the phone, I shadowed away, back to my own apartment.

Again, I remembered my bag, which obviously had to be in the Joker's possession. I glanced out the window to see Bob, John, Ryan, and one other man standing beside the SUV. They seemed to be waiting for the Joker, yet they weren't facing their apartment.

They were facing mine!

"I hope, ah, you got your business done." I smiled at the sound of the Joker's voice, but I forced it to vanish. Only then did I turn and face him.

He had followed through with my second condition. The Joker was back with fresh warpaint on his face, wearing his signature suit. His green tainted hair still smelled clean; he hadn't added any gel to return it to its greasy look.

"Did you wash your clothing?" I asked, surprised. "You ironed your shirt and vest!"

"And the jacket," he said, proudly. He straightened it, holding the flaps open as he twirled around like he was showing off. I started laughing, unable to contain it. The Joker stopped and then held out his arms wide, a grin on his face. I stepped into his embrace, sniffing him. Still clean…I wondered how long that would last.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"I thought, ah, you would like to, ah, _join_ me on an outing."

"Not now," I said, "I'm tired." My head was beginning to pound again, and I wondered if it was because I was in his presence.

"I didn't mean _now_, Shadow." Before I could stop him, the Joker swept me off my feet, holding me bridal style.

"Whoa!" I said startled, clinging to his jacket. "Uncalled for!"

The Joker giggled as I clung to him. "I cleaned myself up for you, Shadow, just for you."

Oh dear, a quite lustful thought was going through his head.

"You know, your men are still out there by the car," I pointed out, "Like they're expecting you."

"I _told_ them to go inside." There was a hint of anger in his voice. I had managed to distract him enough so that I could scramble out of his hold.

The Joker went to the window, pulling a gun out of his pocket. He forced the glass open and then pulled the trigger on his gun. A loud yelp sounded after the gunshot.

I jumped to the window to see who had cried out, but the Joker grabbed me, shoving me onto the couch. "Who'd you kill?" I asked him as he loomed over me, a lean hunched figure. "I hope it was Bob."

"Why?" he asked me, licking his lips.

"He gets on my nerves."

The Joker lunged forward, pressing his hands to the back of the couch on either side of my head. He leaned over me, making his eyes level with mine. Licking his lips again, he asked, "And I don't?"

"You always have," I reassured him, trying to dig myself into the couch away from him.

"Do you want me dead too?" the Joker asked. He kept his painted face close to mine, even as I moved away.

I laughed in his face. "Do you have _any_ idea what you just asked me?"

"Yeah," he said, plainly.

"Don't make me laugh. I've been alone for too long, Mistah J. Loneliness could cause strange emotions to crop up every now and then. Without my best friend, I've had suicidal compulsions before."

The Joker, who was holding his weight on his hands pressing into the couch, dropped himself awkwardly. I let out a squeak as he suddenly crushed me. He laughed as he pulled himself off, kneeling between my legs.

"You tried to kill yourself?" he asked, tapping his fingers on my knee as he propped his chin in his other palm.

"No, I managed to save myself."

"With what?"

I chewed on my lip. Could I tell him?

The Joker waited for me to say something, but when I didn't, he sighed. He lifted his hand and flipped it around a bit. Then, he snapped it out to the side and brought it back with something between his fingers. It was like he was performing a magic trick to make a coin appear out of thin air.

"Did _this_ save you?" he asked, turning whatever it was so I could see it.

It was the picture of me and him from my wallet!

I reached for it, but the Joker moved it. "Give it back," I told him.

"Not until you tell me," he teased, his smile wide.

"No, give it back!" I tried to reach it, but again the Joker moved it. I started to involuntarily growl at him, and he laughed.

"The little Tiger has teeth," he giggled. The Joker was obviously enjoying this.

I decided to play along since I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere soon. "Tell you what?" I asked.

"What? You're not, ah, going to try to bite me. Perhaps make a very _colorful_ bruise on my arm that matches my bruised hand?" I winced at the memory of that. Then, I hadn't known he was Heath Ledger. And _then_, I couldn't resist the pain in my head either! "Tell me that this little picture saved you."

I crossed my arms across my chest. "Why don't you beg, Mistah J? Surely a stray dog does a great deal of begging." I had meant for it to be an insult, but the Joker simply laughed at it.

"Not _this_ one. This dog's busy chasing his tail." I couldn't help laughing at the image. "Or should, ah, I rephrase that?"

"Tail, shadow, they both follow a dog," I told him.

"_But_," the Joker said, lifting a finger as if he was going to make a point, "Depending on the position of the dog and time of day, the shadow can be in front, the tail cannot."

I rolled my eyes. "So what are you going to do if I downright refuse to answer your question?"

The Joker shifted. "I'll have to become _very persuasive_."

I say the look in his eyes and actually became scared. "You wouldn't," I said.

"Unpredictable," the Joker murmured, cupping my chin with his hand, his finger petting my cheek. "You're being very _predictable_ right now, Shadow. Are you afraid?"

"Yes," I replied. My breathing became exhilarated as he bought his face to mine, placing a knee on the couch's edge. "Heath, don't," I pleaded. "You don't want to repeat what happened last time…"

"You won't, ah, run away from me this time, and I'm not threatening you with a knife. Back then, all I wanted was a kiss, and since I already got that…" The Joker paused, and then he said in the husky voice, "I'll go slow." Then, he giggled as he pushed me into the couch. My face burned as the Joker straddled me, and I looked around the room quickly. My head throbbed painfully.

"No," I said as the Joker leaned in. "One day, Mister J, only _one day_."

"A day's enough," the Joker replied. He kissed my neck. "Especially since we've known each other since middle school." I tried to push him off, but he grabbed me in an awkward hug to stop me from knocking him off.

"No!" I shouted, getting angry. "You _know_ that it would be better if I was willing!" He cut me off, pressing his lips to mine.

Feeling his rough scars, I lost my train of thought easily. My body relaxed as his hands freed themselves from under me. His hands groped my sides, one running down my thigh.

The hair on the back of my neck prickled, but I ignored the sense of danger. I grabbed the Joker's head, pulling him into me. My fingers twined into his hair. My mouth opened to allow my tongue free. His met mine.

Suddenly, the Joker pulled away, jerking away so fast that he fell off the couch. I cried out as the pain in my head increased sharply. I turned onto my side, clenching my head but straining to keep my vision clear. My eyes focused upon the Joker.

He was sitting on the floor, cross-legged. With his elbows on his knees, he had his palms pressed against his eyes.

"Mister J?" I called, softly. He didn't answer.

* * *

**Lordlink13: So _curious_, one of my readers is. Whoa, Yoda moment…Why so curious? Well, one's curious about why I used Heath Ledger's name for the Joker rather than Jack Napier. You know, I've sorta debated over that for some time, and I realized I didn't really like the last name Napier. It goes with Jack Nicholson's Joker, not Ledger's. I put in "Jack" nonetheless cause I liked it so I named Ledger's Joker after him because we don't _actually_ know what Heath's Joker's name is. So yeah, I named him after Heath because it was to honor Heath Ledger – my favorite actor in the world!**


	14. Chapter 14

My headache hurt, but I tried to ignore it. I slid off the couch and slowly approached the Joker on all fours.

"Mister J?" I tilted my head so that I could see his face. "Heath?" He still didn't answer.

I waited, listening. His breathing was shallow, but it was loud enough for me to figure out why he wasn't answering. The Joker had fallen asleep in sitting position!

I chuckled softly, a smile spreading on my face. I got up to retrieve my camera, wanting a picture of him like this. It looked good; it actually proved he was still human. Of course, with the picture in my digital camera, I had to hide it and hope that he never found it.

I gently lifted him, finding that he wasn't all that heavy for such a strong man. I dropped the Joker on the couch, grinning as he grunted in his sleep.

He looked so…_harmless_. I adjusted him so that his legs weren't hanging off the edge. With a pillow, I propped up his head so that his breathing became deep and rhythmically slow.

I sat myself down near the couch but got up again to get Tylenol for my headache. I returned to my chair with a cold glass of water pressed to my forehead.

It had been less than a day since I had put a glass to my head. It seemed strange that time had gone so slow, yet so much had happened.

Less than a day and the Joker was _hitting_ on me!

At least now I understood _why_ he was acting like that right off. He had known I wouldn't resist him too much. He knew me too well. Kinda unfair since I only had him in the basics. The Joker was a very complex character. It _did_ help me to know that he was my best friend so I had a better chance knowing everything about him than the Gotham Police.

I sipped at the water and then replaced the glass to my forehead. Then, I shifted my chair so that I could look out the window and still be beside the Joker.

By the SUV, there was blood on the ground, but no body. The Joker hadn't killed any of his men. What a shame!

The picture was clasped in his gloved hand. I had to use both hands to pry open his. Taking it gingerly, I looked at it, my glass pressed to my forehead again.

Heath Ledger…I had liked him when we were in school together. He was four years older than me, but because of his parents, at least his father, Heath had been kept out of school for two extra years.

I put my glass down after another sip and closed my eyes. My body ached, and my shoulders slumped involuntarily. My conscience slipped into darkness.

I was completely numb when I awoke. I could feel nothing. I couldn't even tell if I was breathing.

You know when you exhale through your nose, you can feel the air on your upper lip. I couldn't even feel _that_.

My whole body was numb. I could move, but I couldn't exactly tell that I _was_ moving.

I heard someone sigh behind me, and I located it right by my ear.

"Holy cow!" I yelled in surprise.

There was a burst of laughter behind me, and my body snapped awake. Someone had his arms wrapped around my waist, and his laughter was causing both of us to shake.

"Did I, ah, _scare_ you, Shadow?" the Joker asked, easing into a giggle.

"You son of a gun," I said.

"Still not one for swearing?" He giggled. "One thing that hasn't changed."

I became aware that we were laying on the couch. Oh dear, one day and I had slept with the Joker, ohhh dear…

"You said hours ago that I, ah, would enjoy it more if you were willing," he said as if he had read my mind. "I decided you were right."

"Cause I'm _always_ right," I murmured for the heck of it. He squeezed me, causing a squeak to escape me.

The Joker giggled and buried his face into my shoulder.

"Playful…"

"Hm?" he said.

"You're being very playful right now."

"I don't, ah, think so."

"Of course you don't. You're a mass-murdering-" _psychopathic, schizophrenic clown_ "-terrorist-for-hire with zero empathy."

"Not so!" he argued, placing his head on mine like a pillow. "Empathy for you."

"Please," I said, not amused. "You're a harmless pup."

"_Excuse_ me?" The Joker sounded insulted. I grinned as I heard the click of his switchblade. "Harmless pup?" He was shifting.

I tried to escape him, but the Joker kept me still with one arm. Once again, he straddled me, keeping me on the couch. His switchblade was sliding down my cheek.

"Do you want to, ah, to _repeat_ what you just said?" the Joker asked me, his eyes daring.

"I would if that pretty blade of yours wasn't in my face," I told him, "But I _will_ say this. The harmless pup's baring his teeth at his tail."

The switchblade went straight in my mouth, but I didn't flinch. I looked the Joker straight in the eyes. Heath wasn't going to allow his Joker side to kill me. He would hurt me, but never kill me.

"Why don't you get it over with, Mistah J?" I asked, liking the sound of the newer version of his nickname. "I'd stop annoying you, and you can get back to your business." I slid my tongue over my lips, being careful of the knife while imitating him. "Besides, wouldn't Batman, ah, wonder where you are since you didn't come out last night?"

"I don't come out all the time, Shadow," the Joker said, an amused smile tugging at his scarred lips. "I have to, ah, to let the others have a chance."

"Come on, you step back so that there's more of a chance that Batman could be killed? No respect…"

"Batman equals _different story_," the Joker growled.

"You don't _like_ talking about him, do you, Mistah J?" I was only teasing him, yet the Joker took it seriously. Even with his switchblade in my mouth, I managed to ask, "Why so serious, Mistah J? Surely you know a joke when you hear one, huh, Joker?"

The Joker stared at me with a mix of emotion on his face. Completely had him off guard. He wasn't expecting me to be like this.

Finally, a grin appeared on his face. "You continue to, ah, to amaze me, Shadow."

"Don't be so modest," I murmured.

"Fine, you always _amuse_ me." He removed his knife and placed his painted face close to mine. "How 'bout that outing, Shadow?" he asked me.

I raised my eyebrow. I had forgotten that he had asked me if I wanted to join him later. "Depends on what the outing is," I told him, "And with whom."

"Jim Gordon," he said, "It seems as though I need to pay him a visit, and I think you, ah, need to be known."

"No," I said, firmly.

"No?" the Joker asked, sucking on his lower lip. "Who said-?"

"I said!" I became angry. "You are _not_ taking complete control over my life! Being a criminal mastermind does _not_ mean you can have whoever you want to be a henchman!"

"Henchman!" I bit my lip, losing my anger; I had made him angry. "_Henchman!_ I have _never_ considered you as a henchman, more of an equal!"

I cringed away from him, but the Joker kept up with me. He bent down, placing his mouth near my ear. "Ever the little shadow," he said, his mood changing so quickly that it took me a moment to realize that he wasn't angry anymore. "Never wants to be known by others."

"If I'm to be known, _I _will decide when and how," I told him quietly.

"Maybe so," the Joker said, sitting up and slipping his switchblade into his pocket. "I suppose you have an idea."

"One I'm not telling you."

He clearly didn't like that.

"Put that knife in my mouth again," I said, letting the threat speak for itself.

The Joker hesitated and then growled as he climbed off me. Clearly, I had irritated him pretty bad. He headed for the door.

"Think fast," I shouted, and then I shadowed to stand behind him. Before the Joker could turn around, I jumped him.

We fell forward. The Joker's head slammed into the door, full-force. After hitting it, he crumpled to the floor, taking me with him. He laid there for several moments, still as a dead dog. Then, he started laughing.

"How'd that feel?" I asked him.

"Quite…liberating," he struggled to say. The Joker lifted his head to look at me. "Wanna do it again?"

"No, sorry, I have plans for tonight." He chuckled, and I grinned at him before I shadowed away.

I had claimed I had plans, but in reality, no, I didn't. All I had for an idea was to meet all the criminal masterminds in Gotham. I had the Joker, the Riddler, the Penguin, and Catwoman checked off my list. All I needed was Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy. Of course, there was always Batman too.

I had shadowed to the roof of the Joker's apartment building. I sat there in wait for him to leave mine. He did, but he was obviously thinking I was still around…which I was.

The Joker looked about the rooftops as he pulled out a cell phone. He dialed a number and then said something. Then, he hung up and dialed another number. This went to my cell which was in my pocket.

"_What_ do you _want_?" I demanded, watching him from above.

_"You're always, ah, welcome to come along, Shadow."_ The Joker kicked at the ground – or it could have been a small rock. He looked like a nervous teenage boy asking a girl he liked out on a first date. Oh sure, _our_ first date would be an _outing_ with Batman.

"I have my own idea to follow, but thanks for inviting me all the same."

_"Wait, Shadow."_

"What?"

He paused and became very still down below. _"I'm sorry…"_

"Sorry for what?"

_"For that day…years ago."_

I closed my eyes tightly. I didn't want to even think about it. Why was he bringing it up?

"Maybe we'll cross each other's paths," I said, changing the subject.

I could hear the Joker's suddenly heavy breathing as if he was struggling with something. I heard a door open and looked down to see the Joker's men coming out. Finally, he said, _"Maybe."_

The Joker was the one who hung up.

I closed my cell phone and watched him as he approached his men. I saw Bob, much to my disappointment. It apparently had been John, the unfortunate guy, who had gotten shot, yet he was still out there, holding his right hip when he just stood still.

The Joker didn't even threaten his life!

"Come on, boys," the Joker said, clapping his hands together. "We have, ah, _business _to attend to."

"What about the girl?" Ryan asked.

The Joker stared at him, hard. "Too much, ah, action for two days," he said. From his men's looks, obviously they had taken what he said in the wrong direction.

I had the urge to throw my cell at the Joker's head, but that was when it rung quietly. The Joker must have heard it because he looked straight up at me. I stuck my tongue out at him, and that only caused the Joker to smile.

I pulled away from the edge to check who was calling me. It was Selina!

* * *

**Lordlink13: Geez! I thought I would be able to finish this story with only a handful of chapters, but at the rate that this is going, I'm beginning to picture this story as being over 30 chapters! I'm not saying that's bad, but I'm saying that this isn't going to end anytime soon…probably a good thing to you readers who have kept up with me for quite some time. I surprised none of you have gotten bored of it yet. And please keep up the reviews. I'm having a review-deprivation attack!  
**


	15. Chapter 15

"Hello, Selina," I said.

_"Gotham Jewelry. Twenty minutes."_ She hung up.

Either she was a very abrupt person or she was just paying me back for disappearing on her so suddenly.

I heard the SUV drive away, and I wondered if the Joker was the one driving. It couldn't be since it sounded like it wasn't going very fast.

I glanced at my watch. Ten after ten…funny, she wanted to meet at Gotham Jewelry half an hour after it closed.

Twenty minutes to spare, what was I going to do? The Joker was gone, and I had _nothing_ to do…or maybe I didn't.

I shadowed to the center of Gotham. I sat down on a bench, wondering what I was going to do.

My subconscious must have known where to be at the right time.

There was a noise behind me, and I turned around. The Riddler stood not three feet from me. He wore his signature green coat with question marks all over it. In his hand was a cell which he was dialing a number on.

I shadowed to stand behind him, quiet as a mouse. "Well, well, well…_what_ have we here?" I said.

The Riddler jumped and spun around, his eyes wide.

"Greetings again, Riddler," I said. I glanced at his cell. "Who are we calling?"

"No one," the Riddler said.

I swiped the cell from his hand and looked at it. He lunged for it, but I had the name and number memorized already.

"So snappy," I remarked, teasing him. I wondered if my teasing would work on him as well as it worked on the Joker. "What are we doing tonight? Troubling the Batman? Coming up with a life or death situation to see if you can make one that no one can get out of?"

The Riddler looked at me. "Quite a tiger," he murmured. I probably wasn't supposed to hear that, but I did.

I shadowed behind him and knocked him forward. It was easy to trap him on the ground. He was a brains man, not a strength man.

I picked up his dropped cell and called nine-one-one. "Gotham Center," I said, "The Riddler will be there, tied to a tree." I hung up with a few minutes to spare before the police came by.

I suddenly regretted my choice of what situation the Riddler would be in. My bag was probably in the Joker's hands so I couldn't shadow there and back without losing the Riddler.

I took out my cell and dialed the number. "Joker, is my bag in the SUV?"

_"Yes, ah, it is. I thought you would be coming."_

"Don't hold your breathe. Where are you?"

He must have heard the desperation in my voice because he didn't falter to answer me. _"Swinging by Gotham Center."_ I looked up and saw the SUV appearing from the other side.

"Go into my bag and get the rope," I said. "Throw it out the window."

I was amazed that the Joker didn't ask me why. He must have seen me or something. As the SUV came around, I noticed a black blur riding after it. Oh, dear…Batman's caught up with him.

I continued to watch the SUV, and was surprised when one of the back doors opened. The Joker hung onto it with one hand, tossing my rope at me as the van passed. Then, he started shooting at Batman to distract him, laughing out loud with amusement.

I shadowed to the rope and back to the Riddler, immediately working on tying him up. He tried to fight me, but since I was on top, I had the upper hand. Of course, his attempts did irritate me after awhile so I gave him a good hit in the head.

Batman and the Joker were long gone by the time I got the Riddler tied to a tree. The police sirens could be heard as well.

I shadowed up into the tree to wait for them. As I waited, I had the thought that I shouldn't be overusing my strange ability. Doing things the normal way wouldn't kill me. There was less of a chance anyone would find out about my ability.

I wasn't surprised to see Commissioner Gordon. He noticed the Riddler and had his men check the area. While he was looking, I shook a branch. Made him think it was Batman, I think.

I waited until the Riddler and most of the police were gone before I shadowed to stand several inches in front of Gordon. I slapped a hand over his mouth and put a finger to my lips.

"I wish to speak to you privately," I whispered. "You can come to the named site with some trusted men, but they have to be placed where they can't see me. They have to be in the open." I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head forward. "Get the picture?"

I released his mouth, and he whispered, "Who are you?"

"The Master of Shadows," I answered. "You may call me Shadow, the Collector of Bad Habits, and the Capturer of Criminal Masterminds." I was only trying to confuse him, but the false titles I gave myself actually sounded good. "The incident with the Riddler here proves my capturing abilities."

I stopped myself. A private talk, you wanted a private talk with him. "My number's 4-6-2-7. A code, can't be traced." I grinned at him and then shadowed to Gotham Jewelry's roof.

The Catwoman jumped. "How'd you get here?" she asked.

"I've been here. What are we after?"

"We need to set the lines on this truce first."

I grinned. She was scared that I would take the upper hand on purpose. "All right, we steal, everything goes to you. Is that fair?"

She narrowed her eyes, suspiciously. I wasn't expecting I'd gain her trust right off. "We'll see," she said.

My grin only widened as she moved to the back. I shadowed to the front and picked the lock. I was in before her.

"How did you-?"

"The front door. Less of a chance of people realizing that this store was robbed." More of a chance to ruin Catwoman's fun.

What do I mean by that? I mean that by going through the front door, you shutdown the security system, except the cameras and bugs.

"You ruined the fun," Catwoman protested.

I put on an innocent look. "Gotham's security doesn't shut off."

"Yes, it does."

"Not when you picklock the door. It knows when it's the key." That was a complete lie, but I wasn't bother by it too much. Even honest people lie, especially in Gotham…and _especially_ when you've been best friends with _the Joker_.

She didn't seem satisfied so I went over to the alarm box and broke the glass. An alarm went off, but I smashed the alarm, silencing it. My hand hurt a great deal, but I wasn't going to show her.

The Catwoman looked impressed. Then, she turned and went about the jewelry, snatching this and that into her bag.

I walked about the store, looking for signs of the police while trying to hide the fact that I was rubbing my bruised hand. Wherever I went, I made sure my back was to a camera. I wondered what I was going to do with my face. A mask seemed too simple, and it hid my identity. Why did I want to hide it?

I leaned against a jewel case, tapping on the glass. Face paint would work, but then, I'd be copying the Joker. It was still debatable of whether or not I wanted Gotham to know I was in league with the Joker. Only then could I wear face paint…at least that's how I thought about the situation.

"You ready?" I asked as the Catwoman returned to me.

"I am," she said. Then, she threw her bag at me. I saw past the ruse, seeing her reach for her whip. Grinning, I let the bag drop, and I lifted a hand, miraculously catching the end of the whip.

I yanked on it, catching the Catwoman off guard. As she stumbled toward me, I jumped and thrust out a leg, catching her in the chest. I knocked her down and tyed the whip around her neck, not tight enough to choke her.

"Naughty little kitten," I said. "I _was_ being honest about you getting all the jewelry."

"And I'm being honest right now that the police are headed this way."

I listened for a second, hearing the sirens. They really shouldn't sound those if they want to catch a criminal.

"And you thought you could tie me up and leave me." I clicked my tongue. "Shows how much you know. This will make two masterminds I caught…and in the same night!" I grinned as I bound the Catwoman with her own whip.

"You'll get caught too," she said.

"I truly doubt that," I told her even as the police cars pulled up in front of the store. "I have a skill with not getting caught." I stepped off her and shadowed away.

No plan, no thought…I appeared right beside the Joker. He jumped out of surprise, but I ignored him, looking about to find that we were standing on the roof of the local theater.

"I have a feeling I wouldn't be getting used to you appearing out of nowhere," the Joker said.

"No 'ah' this time?" I asked. I smiled. "Do I freak you out that much?"

"Not really." He reached for me, but I purposely shadowed to his opposite side.

"How 'bout now?" I asked, trying not to laugh as he gazed over his shoulder at me. "You never know where I could appear, Mistah J. I could be beside you. I could be behind you." I shadowed to stand behind him to prove my point. "And," I said as I shadowed again, "I could be right in front of you. It's a complete guessing game."

The Joker reached out with a hand, closing it around my wrist. "I prefer it if, ah, my Shadow stayed put. I _do_ have a threat to pull through with right now."

"Not necessarily." I glanced over the Joker's shoulder to see Batman.

The Joker lifted a finger to his lips to silence me, and then he turned. "No limits," he said, grinning. "Two nights in a row, Batman, ah, what do you think?" I smiled; the Joker had changed the subject slyly.

"Unpredictable," I murmured since Batman wasn't going to answer. Then, I exclaimed, "You two work together?"

Batman looked at me, and I felt the Joker's hand tightened on my wrist, as if warning me to shut up.

Get used to the unpredictableness, Heath!

"_That's_ an interesting thought, darling," the Joker said, adjusting to the new situation. He was also getting me back for the unexpected turn by calling me 'darling' again. "But the bat's proven to be _incorruptible_."

"Let her go, Joker," Batman growled.

"Not when she can be quite _valuable_," the Joker sneered back. Hearing the word 'valuable', I wondered if he knew where I had been. "She's mine!" He pulled out a blade from his pocket as he trapped me with an arm around my chest. "Care to see if you can free her without killing her?" the Joker demanded.

The Batman stood there, his mind whirling for an answer. I didn't want to play the victim, but it was my fault that I was. The Joker placed his face next to mine, breathing in my scent like a dog. He twirled a strand of my hair playfully.

"Come _on_, Batsy. We don't have all day," the Joker taunted, licking his lips quickly. "Remembering your last lady friend? How she died a rather tragic but abrupt death? At least she didn't feel any pain; it must have been, ah, so fast."

Batman was clearly getting angry.

"What, ah, did I say last night, Batman?" the Joker demanded. "Your anger is a natural problem. You've got to learn to contain it and learn to _smile_ every once in awhile."

Batman wasn't going to hold it in much longer. If he moved, the Joker was going to hurt me, and I knew that he wasn't going to hold back. I took the situation into my own hands.

The Joker's hold on me wasn't firm; he thought I was just going to play victim. I _completely_ got him by surprise.

I elbowed him in the chest at the same time as I stomped on his foot. His hold broke as he grunted, and I grabbed the hand with the switchblade – which was the same one I had bruised last night – to force him to jab himself with the knife. I got him in the leg.

The Joker let out a howl of laughter, but I glimpsed the tears in his eyes from the pain. He collapsed onto the ground.

I ran toward the edge and sensed the Batman behind me. He grabbed me, and I shadowed off the roof. Even in midair, I fought Batman, kicking and punching him until he released me. I shadowed away from him, reappearing on the edge of the roof.

Batman let out his wings, and I grinned as he flew to safety.

"What did you do _that_ for?" the Joker demanded, angrily as I approached him. He was gripping his switchblade, ready to yank it out. He looked like a wounded dog, baring his teeth to keep danger away from him.

"What is 'that'? Stabbing you or dropping Batman?"

"Batman!" he shouted. Clearly, he wasn't happy with me for getting rid of the bat.

"No need to get upset, Mistah J. The Batman does have wings, you know."

The Joker clenched his teeth, and with a heave, he yanked out his bloodied switchblade. I had the feeling that he was going to hold a grudge against me for some time. Oh sure, he could hold a grudge against the only one he has feelings for, but he can't hold a grudge against any of the other criminals…unless one of them kills Batman. So unfair…

The Joker got to his feet and turned his back on me, limping slightly. I rolled my eyes. Let him fume for a few hours; he wasn't going to keep away from me forever.

I shadowed behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. Then, I shadowed him to his room in his apartment. I released him and shadowed to my apartment.

A smile appeared on my face as I heard the Joker scream my name in frustration.

* * *

**Lordlink13: *munches on cookies* Don't worry about the word 'unpredictableness'. I know it's not a real word but seeing it split up (unpredictable ness) looks retarded. And thank you, **JimandSteve, **I'm lovin' the cookies!**

**Shadow: Do I get some?**

**Lordlink13: Oh sure, but you have to share with Heath.**

**Shadow: Mistah J's not happy with me at the moment. You're the author of this fanfic. You should know.**

**Lordlink13: *laughs* Oh, oops, I did forget that. Fine, I'll give him some of the cookies...wait, where'd they go?**

**Joker: And so beginnings the Mystery of the, ah, Lost Cookies! *munches on one* These are, ah, _delicious_!**

**Shadow: Darn you, Mistah J! Give them back! Lordlink13 worked hard for those!**

**Joker: She doesn't deserve them anymore than you do.**

**Shadow: Why not?**

**Joker: Cuz, she's the one who made you stab me in the leg. *Shadow shadows over to him and fights for the cookies*  
**

**Lordlink13: Keep up the reviews! I want to have this fight settled at some point!  
**


	16. Chapter 16

I stayed in my apartment the next day. Again, my sleeping schedule was messed up; I slept six hours instead of two. I didn't do much, just cleaned up the place. One of the couch pillows had a mix of white, black, and red paint so I tried washing that out, but failed miserably. I just gave up and turned the pillow over.

My landlord came by to talk and to check the condition of the place. She was an old woman so she liked to talk. I let her go, chatting about all kinds of things while my shadow walked about the room, cleaning up a few more things.

I paid my landlord as she walked out the door. Checking my watch, I saw that it was ten past one. I decided to go out for lunch.

As I left my apartment, I realized that my wallet was still in my bag, which was in the Joker's SUV.

I walked outside and stopped. The Joker stood leaning against the SUV, staring straight at me, like he had been expecting me.

He wore his purple suit, and his hair was still tainted green. His makeup, however, had been washed off, probably for the sake of him being out in the daylight in front of his hideout.

I sighed and then began my approach. As I came closer, I noticed that most of his weight was on his left leg, the uninjured one. I couldn't help but grin, and I felt my steps become lighter, almost to the point I was going the Mistah J-skipwalk.

His mouth twitched as he watched me. "Seems like you've got, ah, that down quite well," the Joker complimented.

"It's your skipwalk," I told him. "Are you still mad at me?"

"You know, ah, the answer to that, Shadow."

I smiled and ran to him. He caught me and lifted me up into the air, twirling around. The Joker set me down, and he gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"I have a feeling that, ah, you'll be having me running for my money pretty soon," the Joker said.

"Please," I said, not amused as I twisted a few strands of his hair around a finger. "I'll just have you running for me. You're not a money man, _which_ reminds me why I came out here in the first place."

"You weren't coming to, ah, to see me?" he asked, playing hurt.

"Don't get your hopes up, Mistah J. I was going out for lunch, but I need my wallet."

"Where, ah, were you planning on going?"

"I wasn't _planning_. Walking about Gotham isn't all that bad. And you're _not_ coming with me!"

"You're not, ah, getting your wallet then."

"And how, pray tell, are you going to stop me from shadowing into that car?"

That stumped him. Instead of moving so I could get into the SUV, he reached into his pocket and pulled out my wallet.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Enjoying what?" the Joker asked innocently, a not-so-innocent grin on his face.

"Looking through my bag and taunting me."

"I've always, ah, enjoyed taunting you. Looking through your bag is only a new bit of entertainment."

I smiled. "Such an innocent clown who enjoys explosives." I snatched my wallet out of his hand. "How's the leg?"

"Patched up," the Joker replied. "Bob happens to be a medical man too."

"Why's it have to be him?" I demanded, throwing my arms up in frustration.

The Joker pulled my arms down and gathered me in a hug. Placing his face right in front of mine, he said, "One, ah, thing you have to learn, Shadow, is that a criminal mastermind's henchmen are, ah, _always_ expandable."

"Meaning I'm expandable." The Joker roughly slammed me against the car, causing my back to crack loudly. "All right, I get your point," I said, wincing in pain.

The Joker leaned in close until I could feel his breath on my face. "Never," he growled.

I sniffed. "When was the last time you brushed your teeth, Mistah J?"

"No need to, ah, to be mean, Shadow. 'Last time' happens to be _this morning_."

"Really?" I breathed in and smelled mint. "You know how to brush and use breath mints! I'm so _proud_ of you!"

The Joker grinned as he lifted a hand to my face, gently stroking it. Then, he gingerly pressed his lips to mine.

It was a short kiss, but it was passionate. I looked at him to see a tender emotion in his eyes. He lifted my chin and kissed me again.

"I hope you don't think this will win me over," I told him.

The Joker grinned. "I don't, ah, _hope_, Shadow. I know I've won already." As he kissed me a third time – this one longer – I realized that he was right. He _had_ won me over.

"Are you still hungry?" the Joker asked me.

"No," I answered, "I wasn't really in the first place."

"Hm." He buried his face into my shoulder again.

I laughed at his childish action. "Still playful."

"Only for you, Shadow, no one else."

I started playing with his hair, stroking the back of his neck. He moaned, and I grinned. At the moment, I had the mad dog on a chain, which I was willing to release if he pulled hard enough.

Then, my cell phone interrupted the moment.

I let out a sigh and reached for it. The Joker managed to find it first, but I snatched it out of his hand. Before he could try to get it again, I shadowed behind him. I was limited during the day so I had moved to his shadow.

Using the Joker's shadow again, I shadowed to the other side of the street, back to my apartment. I sat down on the front steps and answered my phone.

"Hello," I said.

_"It's me, Commissioner Gordon."_

Oh, I forgot I told him my code number. A private talk, right.

"Hi, Gordon," I greeted. "You took the chance and called me. I feel special."

_"You were right; the code number can't be traced."_

"Too advanced for a city cop. Are you going to give me the pleasure of a private chat?"

_"Why not now? At the diner on 172nd street? Unless you're a night person."_

"I'm free now," I said, "Ten minutes?"

_"Ten minutes is fine."_

I snapped the phone closed.

"Who, ah, was that?" the Joker asked, leaning against the railing.

"A friend," I told him, "In the making."

"Why do I doubt that?" he snickered.

"Because you doubt that I'm capable of making friends with non-criminals."

The Joker licked his lips, giving me a doubtful look. "That's not, ah, what I meant."

"But that's what you thought." I smirked at him. "Turns out that I have a date after all."

The Joker's face fell into a panicked expression. Yup, he was still human, surprisingly. "With whom?" he demanded, sounding like he was gagging on something.

"Commissioner Gordon," I told him and then walked into my apartment.

What to wear? I doubted it would be fancy so I figured what I was wearing was fine. Did I want to hide my face? No, if he jailed me, that's fine. I'd like to see him try.

"Why are you going to see Gordon?" Ah, the playful puppy followed me, and he wasn't wagging his tail anymore.

"I don't know…maybe just to talk."

"Why?" I could hear the anger and suspicion in his voice.

"He saw me catching the Riddler." I was being honest, yet it only made him angrier. "_Look_, Heath. I didn't exactly plan on seeing him."

"You must have had an _idea_."

"Yeah, I wanted a private chat with him."

"About _what_?" He said it so loudly that his voice cracked on the last word.

"Shh," I said, spinning to face him. "Not so loud."

The Joker was quite a sight when he was angry. The scars made no difference when he was this angry. He looked really red in the face, almost as if he was going to explode very soon.

I didn't want that, not in _my_ apartment.

"_Don't_," the Joker growled, pointing an accusing finger at me, like he knew what I was going to do. I did it anyway and shadowed us to his room.

"If you're going to be angry, let it at least be at _your_ apartment!" I yelled at him.

The Joker opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and then threw his arms up in frustration. He was pretty mad, being unable to talk.

Of course, because he was losing it, _I_ was losing it. Mine just happened to be better controlled.

"No trust," I said, lowering my voice threateningly. "You don't _trust_ me enough to take care of myself. Is _that_ what you're trying to tell me?"

The Joker's anger slid a bit. "No," he said, "That's _not_ what I'm saying."

"Then say what is bothering you!" I snapped. "Just spit it out so then I can figure it out. Otherwise, I'll leave _right this minute_!"

"Don't!"

I slapped his reaching hand away, and anger flashed in his eyes. The mad look did not frighten me.

"You don't want to leave me like this, Shadow," the Joker growled. "You know I'll ruin your little outing with Gordon."

"Gordon's married with kids, Heath!"

Before I could see it coming, he slapped me across the face.

"_Don't_," the Joker said, sticking a finger in my face, "_Ever_ say my name again, _Sara_."

Oh no, he _didn't!_

I leaped at him, knocking the Joker to the ground. I left my fists fly, hitting him with everything I got. Screaming with frustration, I pounded him, using all my strength, getting all my anger out on him. I blamed him for everything, _everything_ bad that happened in my life. Whatever I could think of, I blamed him for it.

I didn't stop until I couldn't think of anything. Gradually, I became aware that my whole body hurt, like I was the one who had been beaten on. With great difficultly, I forced open my clenched first, feeling the ache in my fingers.

I was breathing too heavily. I felt lightheaded, and my vision began to swim. Fighting it, I looked down at the Joker, gasping.

Besides the possible broken nose, it looked like I hadn't done anything to him. Surely, he would have been covered with bruises, yet then again, he was wearing clothes.

I watched him for several moments, slowly registering what I had done to him. The Joker was unconscious; I had beaten him senseless!

Hurriedly, I pulled back his purple jacket, beginning to unbutton his vest. I was so panicked that it took me twice as long to undo his shirt than it was his vest. Pulling them open, my eyes widened.

The Joker was _covered_ in bruises!

Tears welled up in my eyes. Why did I have to hurt him? I checked his vital signs, relieved that he was still alive, but that didn't comfort me very much.

Then, I remembered Gordon.

I took out my cell to call him and cancel, but then, a gloved hand snapped onto my wrist.

"Go," the Joker whispered, "I'll, ah, wait."

Relieved to hear that he was awake, I waited until he had released my arm before I shadowed to the diner.

I quickly wiped my eyes dry, taking a few moments to compose myself. My worry for the Joker still remained, but I forced it back so that I could concentrate on the situation at hand.

* * *

**Lordlink13: I don't know about this. Shadow's gonna get it later.**

**Shadow: Am not. Mistah J deserved that beating. He had it coming for a _long_ time.**

**Joker: *comes up behind Shadow* And you're still going to see Gordon. You tick me off.**

**Shadow: It's good for you, you playful puppy.**

**Joker: I'm _not_ a _puppy_!**

**Lordlink13: *grabs the cookies and runs* Please review!  
**


	17. Chapter 17

Gordon wasn't difficult to find. He had taken a table near the window. It must be his break from work. I grinned; I wondered if his wife would know about this.

I approached his table confidently. "Hello, Gordon."

He looked at me and then stood up.

"Jane McKinley," I said, holding out a hand.

"Is that your real name?" Gordon asked, shaking my hand.

"Of course not, Gordon. I can't go about Gotham with my real name. Are you going to arrest me?" I was being blunt. Why not?

"Seems as though it's only me who knows you exist," Gordon said as we sat down.

"Wrong, the criminals in this city do. Four of them do at least."

"Who?"

"Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman, Batman…" I paused and ticked them off on my fingers. "Never mind, that's five."

"You didn't name the last one."

"The clown."

"The Joker?"

"Yeah, him."

"Have you caught him yet?"

"Obviously since you don't have him in County…"

Gordon waved a hand, understandingly. "All right, Jane. Technically, you would be under arrest."

"I didn't hide my identity though."

"Shadow of Shadows? Collector of Bad Habits? Capturer of Criminal Masterminds? Recognize any of them."

"I would say that I was just kidding, but since you don't seem the kind of guy who would take that for an answer…"

"I can take it if you can't come up with a more _serious_ answer."

Oh, he was testing me. This is epic!

"That's what I consider myself," I said with a shrug. "I tend to be anywhere I need to be, like I just follow destiny. Not that I believe in that, but it just happens. I _happened_ upon the Riddler in the park. I _happened _to be Catwoman's sidekick the other night. Yes, I'll be honest; I join in on the burglaries and such, hence the title ' Collector of Bad Habits'. I was going to give her all the jewelry, but she set me up for the police to come by. Instead, I turned it on her."

Gordon reached for something in his pocket, and I suddenly wished I had brought a gun…or a knife. "Ms. McKinley," he began, "I feel as if there's a lot to learn about your character."

"Quite a lot," I agreed.

"But it shouldn't be here out in public."

"You want to take me in for questioning. I'll be very honest with you, Gordon. Any other time, I would have gladly gone with you to allow your people to question me, but now is not the time."

"Why?" Gordon asked.

"I have a friend who needs treatment."

"I'll go with you."

"It's not necessary. Let's just choose a day and time I should come in for questioning, and I'll come. I promise."

"How can I trust you?"

"You'll just have to. I know, trusting a criminal isn't what a cop is supposed to do, but you've trusted Batman up until Harvey Dent died." I didn't know much of the story behind the late district attorney, but at some point, I would learn. "Give me your phone number and I'll call you, or text. If I call your cell, you can have your fellow cops tap into the conversation. I'll let it slide that one time."

I stood up and so did Gordon. "You're a good commissioner, Gordon," I said. "I don't want you to make a fool of yourself in a diner. I keep my word. When I make a promise, I'm bound to it." My major weakness, now revealed. "It's actually bad enough that there's a news reporter in this room, two seats behind you." I added in whisper, "Turn around _slowly_. Don't want them to know you're aware of them."

Gordon managed to pull off a casual glance about the room. "Fine," he said, grudgingly holding out his hand. I took it.

"I promise," I repeated and then proceeded out of the diner. I walked down the street, knowing that Gordon would be watching. Turning into an alley, I shadowed back to the Joker's apartment.

He was sitting up and looking about the room when I returned. "And the Tiger returns," the Joker said angrily, obviously to tick me off.

"Keep it up," I told him. "Keep thinking. I'm going to get some ice." I shadowed to my apartment and returned with the ice. "All right, go ahead," I told him.

I just let him rant and swear all he wanted. He was much like a little boy with a very dirty mouth. While he ranted, I had him lie on the ground, and I covered him with the ice. The cold touch received some frantic swearing, and I had to fight the urge to laugh at him for it.

I was unwrapping his wounded leg when he finally fell silent. Of course, the Joker wasn't silent for long when I cleaned the wound. The thing was: he didn't curse this time. He merely stiffened and inhaled sharply.

The Joker felt pain! That was something new. Normally, he didn't…or at least he didn't show it. It made me wonder. Was Heath acting or did I really hurt him so bad that he was finally feeling pain.

"How, ah, was it?" the Joker asked as I rebound his leg.

"Fine," I said, thinking he was asking about his leg.

"No, I meant Gordon."

"Oh…" What was I going to tell him? The truth obviously, but how much of it? He wasn't going to be happy that I voluntarily said I would come in for questioning.

"Well, ah, I'm _waiting_." He was beginning to sound like the ol' Joker again.

"I must have talked too openly with Gordon. He wanted to take me in for questioning."

"He's insane," the Joker said. He didn't giggle though, which made me nervous. He was taking this too seriously for his character, as complex as it was. "I would have liked to, ah, to see him try to handcuff you. I wanna hear more. Go on."

I reached up and ran a hand through my hair, not knowing how to say it. "I volunteered to come in for questioning later."

"_What?!"_ Yup, there went his good mood, out the window. "Shadow, of all things you could have done-!"

"It was the only thing I could have done. I beat you senseless and he wouldn't let me go!"

The Joker stared at me hard for several seconds. "Did you, ah, _promise_?"

I couldn't say it so I just nodded.

That's when he hit me. It was quick, _that _I remember. He hit me hard, yet his knuckles hurt the most. The pain lasted for about a second, and then I was out like a light.

* * *

"Shadow…Shadow, c'mon, wake up."

His voice was the first thing I remember.

"Shadow, c'mon, _focus_."

"_I'm…focusing."_ I was ticked off. My eyes burned when I opened them, and my head began to pound again. Barely three days with the Joker… "I suppose I deserved that punch."

"I didn't mean to, ah, to hit you so hard."

"Right. Since when did the Joker have sympathy for anyone?"

"Since you came back into my life." I looked at him, seeing a sincere look on his face.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me."

"I'm not." He winced as he shifted to a sitting position.

That didn't make me happy. "Lie back down and put that ice back on!"

The Joker started laughing as he fought to get to his feet. I lunged at his legs, knocking him over. He yelped in pain as he slammed down onto the ground.

"You're so _vicious_!" he giggled.

"And I suppose you like it," I said, shadowing to sit on top of him. "Seems like the dog's shadow bypassed him for a time." The Joker laughed, but was suddenly cut off as he whimpered in pain.

I stood up and stretched, looking about the room. The floor was littered with ice packs, but otherwise, it remained clean, which was a surprise to me. I did notice a gun on the nightstand beside the bed. I would have thought he had a collection of knives on his bedside.

"_Shaa-dow…"_

"What?" I asked, glancing at the Joker. I saw him slam his arm against the back of my legs, knocking them out from under me. I fell backwards, falling onto the Joker's chest.

He laughed as his arms wrapped around me. "Quite a little tumble," he giggled.

"You're not funny, Mistah J."

He turned me so that we were face-to-face. "You don't believe that," the Joker said, twirling a strand of my hair.

"Of course not, Mistah J."

He grinned. "I know, ah, I know." His hand pressed against the nape of my neck, and I let him have want he wanted. My lips brushed his scarred mouth, and a tingle of pleasure ran through me. Acting without thought, I shadowed us onto the welcoming bed.

The Joker noticed the change and rolled us over, pressing me into the bed. His lips moved away from mine, sliding along my jawline. As if that wasn't distracting enough, his free hand began roaming down my side and to my thigh.

I couldn't stop the moan that escaped my lips.

The Joker giggled and then began kissing my neck.

I tried to get him back, but he had the advantage, being the one on top. The best I could do was to caress his bruised chest, and even _that_ was difficult when he was distracting me in multiple places.

Suddenly, I jerked, letting out a squeak as his fingers brushed under my knee.

"Are we, ah, _ticklish_?" the Joker snickered.

"S-Stop," I laughed as he tickled me. "Uncalled for…uncalled for!" I cracked up, unable to control myself anymore. The Joker giggled as he stopped, placing his hands on either side of my face.

"I _love_ it, ah, when you laugh, Shadow."

"Afraid to call me by my real name?" I teased him.

"Actually, ah, I am. Then again, I've always been afraid of you."

"How could you?" I asked. "I was a loner with no friends. I only had you."

"Have you, ah, ever heard the saying that a cornered dog with nothing to lose is the most dangerous?" The Joker shifted, and he moved his hands, keeping them at either side of my head, pressing them into the mattress. "That's what you were, even when I was with you. You were a lonely, wet-eared, stray puppy with your tail between your legs, baring your teeth at everyone, even me from time to time."

I sighed, feeling the overwhelming loneliness sweep over me. The Joker lightly patted my cheek with a hand, somehow sensing my emotions switch.

"You're all right now, Shadow," he said, reassuringly.

"Sara…"

"You're, ah, with me now."

I shook my head, the loneliness caving in on me like broken walls. I turned my head away from him, unable to face him. The Joker grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.

"_Don't_ focus on the past, Sara. Focus on the present. Where would you be right now if I hadn't found you?"

"Still a lonely puppy…" My expression was crumbling, the loneliness being unbearable. "Heath, I can't-." But he cut me off with a kiss.

Then, there was a knock on the door.

The Joker stiffened and pushed himself up. I suddenly _needed_ him, to banish the loneliness. As he moved away, I grabbed his jacket and yanked him back. I groped for his lips before I pressed mine against his. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kept the Joker with me. He relaxed, forgetting about the intruder.

"Boss?" I couldn't figure out who's voice it was, but I didn't care. Their boss was busy!

The knocking continued, but the Joker and I ignored it. He began kissing my neck again while I tried to come up with some kind of comeback.

The intruder, whoever he was, pulled the last straw. I heard the door open. Without thinking, I reached for the gun on the nightstand. My hand met the Joker's; he was reaching for it too. We picked up the gun, aimed it at the door, and pulled the trigger – doing this while kissing.

There was the echoing gunshot and a thud.

I started laughing, pulling away from the Joker to do so. He joined me without hesitation. We dropped the gun, and the Joker kissed me again, still laughing hysterically.

* * *

**Lordlink13: Yeah, Shadow deserved that hit, and I doubt that the Joker didn't mean to hit her so hard.**

**Shadow: _I'm_ the one who's supposed to doubt Mistah J. You can't doubt it because you _know_; you're the author.**

**Joker: Just, ah, keep reminding her that. She might finally get it. Besides, _you_, Shadow, on the other hand, ah, still need something to sink in.**

**Shadow: What? How do you know?**

**Joker: *grinning* Lordlink13's written up to chapter 22. She's just slow in typing the chapters up in the first place.**

**Lordlink13: I have school to deal with, Heath!**

**Joker: *snaps out a switchblade* Don't make me do it, Lordlink13. I _will_ tell your readers your _real_ name.**

**Lordlink13: Go ahead. I already know two of my readers personally.**

**Joker: *licks his lips* It's a name that starts with 'D'.**

**Shadow: He's scared of you.**

**Lordlink13: Darn right he should be. He doesn't know if I might decide to kill him in the end. Anyway, we're getting off track. Shadow, Joker, would you mind doing the honors.**

**Joker&Shadow: Send in those reviews! Or we'll, _ah_, come after you!**

**Lordlink13: Oh bother *shakes head***


	18. Chapter 18

The laughter finally eased down, and the Joker rolled off me, bouncing to his feet. I propped myself up on my elbow, watching him as he bounced over to the dead body in the doorway.

The Joker bent over the body and then looked at me with a grin on his lips, not his scars.

"Who was it?" I asked, eagerly.

He knew what I meant. "Not, ah, Bob."

I hit the bed and rolled onto my back. "Why don't you just replace all of them?"

The Joker stood up and turned to face me, buttoning up his shirt and vest. "Their time's, ah, comin', Shadow."

"I doubt that," I said as I put my hands behind my head.

The Joker straightened his jacket and then bounced over to the bed. He jumped, and I flinched, afraid that he'd hurt me. Instead, he landed beside me, giggling like a little kid.

"Joker," I said quietly. He ceased his laughter instantly and cocked his head to the side. He reminded me of a dog when you called its name. "What am I to do about Gordon?"

The Joker sighed and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "I'd say, ah, for now, to lay low and don't call him…not yet anyway."

"Are you suggesting a _plan_?"

"Even _I_ tend to plan things now and then, but they're usually not this big, Shadow…" He glanced at me over his shoulder. "For the time being, don't _wing_ it."

I propped myself up again. "Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm, ah, worried." The Joker stood up and headed for the open door.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Lay low, Shadow. I'm not, ah, going anywhere at the moment." He held the doorframe with a hand, swinging out into the hallway. "Bob, Ryan, come here!" The Joker stood there for several seconds until I heard rushing footsteps.

"Yes, boss?" Ryan asked.

The Joker pointed to the dead body. "I don't like seeing my men lying about like this. Get him out of here!"

I tried to see who it was that we shot, but the Joker swung back into the room, blocking my view. He faced me.

"I'm afraid I had, ah, thought to leave a calling card somewhere."

"Where?" I asked.

"You're _not_ invited." He gave me a look that seemed to order me to stay here. "We'll talk about your situation when I come back." Then, the Joker swung out of the door, and he was gone.

I sighed as I collapsed onto the Joker's bed. Too much was happening in such a small amount of time. I wished time would go faster. Why did so many things have to happen in three days?

I had already screwed up too! And the Joker was telling me to lay low! What was going through my head when I first appeared before Gordon? It was all because of my carelessness! The _Joker_ was _ordering_ me to _lay low_!

I rolled over and buried my head in the pillow. I didn't care that there was warpaint on it. It didn't matter. Unable to stop myself, I cried.

I had only cried for a few seconds before I felt someone grabbing hold of me. The hold was gentle, the embrace comforting.

The Joker held me as I cried, patting my hair and rocking me back and forth. I don't know how long it lasted, but he stayed until I had some control.

"Don't you have some business to attend to?" I asked, wiping my eyes. "Why'd you come back?"

"I, ah, forgot my makeup."

Oh, _that_.

He bounced off the bed and went over to his dresser. I laid back down, curling into a ball and hugging my knees. As I closed my eyes, I felt the loneliness creeping up on me.

_Heath's in the room…Heath's in the room!_

I was having a loner attack. The last time I had one was back in eighth grade. For me, it was equal to a seizure.

"Heath," I whispered. My chest started hurting, and my head throbbing. It was becoming harder to breathe. "Heath," I choked, "I can't…breathe…"

The Joker was on me in seconds. My chest hurt, and I cried out in pain as he forced me to lay flat on my back. My vision went black, and I felt myself slipping.

I reached up, trying to grab hold of the Joker, but I felt nothing. My fingers closed on air. "Heath…"

* * *

The Joker tumbled to the ground, grabbing several ice packs. He barely heard Shadow calling his name, weakly.

Returning to her suddenly limp form, the Joker didn't hesitate to pull off her shirt. He covered her chest with ice packs, placing one on her throat. Only once had she been conscious during one of these 'loner' attacks and he found that something cold seemed to ease the constricting reaction in her throat and chest. Taking the last two ice packs, the Joker pressed them to her temples.

The Joker remembered these attacks all too well. Why her loneliness caused this damage to her, he didn't know. Luckily, he had always been around when she had them.

He held the two ice packs to her temples, listening for her breathing. She sounded like she was struggling, but when he pressed on her chest, she breathed easier.

While he waited for Shadow to awaken, the Joker's mind became restless as an idea formed. A grin stretched over his mouth, but then, he shook his head violently. It would have to wait until Shadow was better.

"Heath…"

She was coming around.

"Hello there," the Joker greeted her.

She narrowed her eyes. "Why do you _do_ that?"

The Joker couldn't suppress his giggle; Shadow's expression was just too funny. Just give her a few moments to come back to reality. Talk to her in the meantime…Bob and the others can wait a bit longer.

"Do what, Sara?" he asked. It was a test. If she hit him, she was conscious. If not…it meant she hadn't fully come around yet. Blackouts, she called them. When she woke up, she wouldn't remember this conversation.

"Giggle like that," she said, "It's almost high-pitched."

The Joker grinned. "That's what _terrifies_ people."

"You don't scare me."

"I'd be, ah, very sad if I did."

Shadow gave him a curious look. "Why's that?"

"Because I love you, Sara, always have." He couldn't believe he had said that; why did he say that? The Joker hoped she wasn't going to remember that.

"Oh, that's nice." Good, she wasn't awake enough to remember that! "I love you too, Heath."

The Joker stared at her, his eyes widening. "_What _did you just say, Sara?"

"I love you."

A giddiness came over him, and he completely forgot she was only half there. The Joker bounced off the bed and jumped up and down, waving his arms around and giggling with glee. She loved him! She loved him!

* * *

I swear, it was the most _frightening_ thing I had ever woken up to.

The ice packs didn't bother me. They fell off when I sat upright suddenly. The Joker was jumping around like a six-year-old, clapping his hands and everything. A mass-murdering psychotic clown didn't scare me, but a grown man acting like a little kid…now _that_ scared me.

The Joker stopped suddenly, facing me with his arms open wide. His makeup was only half done, but that didn't diminish the brightness in his expression. It was like I had given a six-year-old candy, enough to make him sugar high.

It was as if I had _told_ the six-year-old something that he had waited for _so long_ to hear.

"Sara," the Joker declared, "You just _made_ my day!" He jumped again, punching the air with a whoop and then ran out of the room.

I sat there, dumbstruck, my mouth hanging open. My brain was telling me I had had a blackout.

_What had I said to the Joker?_

"Oh, ah, and, Shadow." I blinked. The Joker was back. "Maybe, if you, ah, called Gordon and assigned a time to talk to him, maybe you could make up a little story."

"You want me to _lie_?"

The Joker shrugged. "Whatever you want to do, _but_…I want you to _plan_ it first." He gave me a stern look and then disappeared again.

I heard him skid on the ground, and then, he dashed back into the room, grabbed his paint, and ran out again.

I came to two conclusions. Either he was too excited to think straight or he really wanted to get away from me.

I sat there for quite sometime, unable to think straight. The pain in my chest had gone, but my head still hurt. I held an ice pack to my head for awhile before I simply laid on it, pressing my temple into it.

Closing my eyes, I tried to concentrate, to think, to _plan_. I was bound by my promise to call Gordon to assign a day and time to see him. At the _station_! Panic rose up into my threat. I was going to the MCU! Oh no!

Get a hold of yourself, Shadow, I told myself. You can understand my panic; I've never been to jail before. I've been caught, but I had managed escape before the police can drive me to the cruel place.

"The trick is to play nice and wait for an opportunity to arise." I lived by that trick; it's gotten me out so many times. Now, how could I use it when I'm willing to go to be arrested?

"Always assume the worst situation." Another trick I've lived by. I wasn't arrested yet, but that would be the worst situation for the time being.

I drifted off, waking up when I heard the bedroom door close. My eyes were heavy with sleep as I propped myself up. I glanced at my watch. Eleven twenty-five. My sleeping schedule was _completely_ messed up! I still felt tired, but I wasn't going to let my body win.

I stretched and let out a yawn. When was the last time I had ever yawned? The loner attack must have tired me or something. I laid there, still in the stretching position but my body was relaxed.

"Comfortable, Shadow?"

I didn't move, figuring there was no point in changing my position just because Heath was in the room.

The Joker walked around the bed, coming into my vision. He wasn't wearing his signature jacket; that was the first thing I noticed. The second was that he looked tired, and third, his vest was unbuttoned, like he had entered the room, had thrown his jacket aside, and had been unbuttoning his vest to get into bed.

"You look tired," I said, simply.

"That's what the black around, ah, my eyes are supposed to hide."

I moved over so that he could have one side of the bed. The Joker didn't move, staring at me as if he was waiting for something.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" I asked. I wasn't in the mood for games.

"Just, ah, thinking."

"I can see the clockwork and the steam," I told him. "The bulb hasn't lit yet."

He shook his head as if to clear it. "Did you, ah, call Gordon?"

"No, I haven't exactly figured out what I'm gonna tell him."

"Another thing, ah, you need to learn. Criminals are liars."

"Not this one."

The Joker suddenly looked furious. "You can't even give him a half-lie?" he demanded.

I hadn't thought of that. "It depends on what I lie about and what I tell the truth." The look on the Joker's face confused me. "I'm _not_ going to tell him about you."

"What does _he_ know?"

"That I've met you already, nothing more." I was beginning to get nervous; his expression did not change. "Do you _want_ me to tell?"

"There's no records of me. The only way I exist is as the Joker, and I want it to stay that way."

"Heath Ledger to me." I had said the wrong thing.

The Joker lunged at me, trapping me on my back. There was an unknown emotion in his eyes as he placed his face ever so close to mine. "Ledger's dead," he said in a cold, menacing tone.

"No, he's not. You're Ledger!"

"No!" How could he be denying who he was?

"I don't understand," I said, meekly.

"There's _nothing_ you cannot understand, Shadow. Heath Ledger died years ago, having lost to his inner ego."

I shook my head, and the Joker shoved my shoulders into the bed roughly.

"I will make you understand _this_ then." He licked his lips before continuing. "You wanna know how I got these scars?"

My eyes widened. Oh no…

"You _know_ how my father was. A drinking fiend who abused me. One night, my mother had decided that she had seen enough. She tried to protect me from my father. She had a knife in her hand. He was stronger than she was. He threw her, ah-side and came to me with the knife."

I flinched at the sound of the click of his switchblade. He brought it up to my face, placing the cold blade against my cheek.

The Joker continued. "The hot pain was the only focus I had, Shadow. You wouldn't _understand_ how much it hurt! Compared to these bruises…the pain of having your mouth _sliced open_ makes these _nothing_!" He took the knife away, much to my relief. "That was only the left side of my mouth, Shadow."

I didn't want to hear about the other side, but it seemed as though the Joker was going to continue, whether I liked it or not.

* * *

**Lordlink13: All right, I don't know who said that I was all the way to chapter 22-.**

**Joker: That was, ah, me.**

**Lordlink13: *sarcastically* Thank you, Ledger.**

**Joker: *glances at Shadow* What did, ah, I do?**

**Lordlink13: It's true, readers, that I'm writing my story faster than I'm typing it. I feel that I'm being unfair to you all because I'm keeping to my rule of "one chapter every other day". I just don't get to typing it up fast enough. _And_ I'm all the way in chapter 23 right now where things get interesting between the Joker and Shadow...*hint, hint*...but then I have to go back like five chapters to tell you guys. One of these days, I'm gonna find lots of time, and I'm gonna just type all the chapters I have so far and put them all on fanfiction in one day. Or I might do a chapter a day to catch up, but in a way, I don't want to do that in case I happen to get stuck at a point and you, my readers, are caught up. Maybe if I finish writing the story, I'll throw all chapters up, but if that doesn't happen, I guess the chapter-a-day might work.**

**Shadow: Shut up, Lordlink13, you're probably boring your readers.**

**Lordlink13: They don't _have_ to read the bold parts at the end of the chapter. They read it if they want to; I don't _force_ them to.**

**Joker: Just _shut up_, Lordlink13, and _get typing the rest of the chapters_!**

**Lordlink13: Great, my two main characters (don't own the Joker) are ganging up on me. Review and also tell me what you think...if you read this bold part...**

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* * *

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**Joker: And who asked Lordlink13 not to kill me off?! I want to know who.**

**Shadow: *looking through the reviews* Someone named **midnighthorrors**. *looks up* Oh, crud, the readers are still reading this.**

**Joker: Shut up. Why _hello_ readers! For some of those people, like **midnighthorrors**, who are wondering if I'm goin' to, ah, be killed off... *looks at Shadow* Ya know, I'm one of those who are wondering too.**

**Shadow: *shrugs* I don't know, Mistah J. Just cause I'm more of a fictional version of Lordlink13 doesn't mean I know what's on her mind about this story.**

**Joker: Did she _plan_ it out, is what I'm wondering.**

**Shadow: Go ask her in the next chapter, Mistah J. Don't come to me to ask that.**

**Joker: Fine, I _will_. People like **midnighthorrors** - like the name, btw - follow me to chapter 19 once Lordlink13's finished with it.**


	19. Chapter 19

I closed my eyes. "What happened to the other side?"

"_That's_ a story for another time." The anger in the Joker's voice hadn't subsided. I felt something being placed in my hand. "Call Gordon. Set up a time and day. I don't care how you do it; he's going to hear me in the background nonetheless."

I opened my eyes and met his. My hand trembled as I flipped the cell open. I dialed Gordon's number and then put the phone to my ear. Instantly, the Joker started breathing heavily. Oh, such an actor!

"_Hello?"_ Gordon answered.

"Jim?" I asked, and before he could say anything, I added, "You're such a _joker_. I know you're the one leaving those little gifts on my doorstep and ringing the doorbell at seven thirty every night. Why don't you just come talk to me face-to-face? There's no need to be a _shadow_. Come visit me while I'm working. My boss wouldn't mind. I work at the diner. Come by." I closed the cell, but not all the way; I kept my finger in it.

"Who, ah, was that, _dar_-ling?" the Joker asked me. "Calling your, ah, ex again?" He started giggling. "Surprised? I can _smell_ you anywhere."

"Do I pose a threat to you, Joker?" I asked, acting the part.

"Having seen you take on the Riddler seems to have caught my eye."

I realized that he didn't know about Catwoman. To tell him, I pretending my hand was a claw.

"And I'm, ah, guessing you dealt with the cat as well," the Joker said, his tone neutral while his face showed his confusion. "And what's this about, ah, meeting your ex?"

"Haven't you had an ex?" I demanded.

"Ouch," the Joker said, giggling. "You wouldn't be able to _guess._"

I closed the cell, ending the call.

The Joker looked startled. "I was just getting started, Shadow! Why did you have to _ruin _it?" His voice had slipped back into the husky voice, and I had a feeling that it wasn't on purpose.

"And _you_ said that Heath Ledger is dead," I said, angrily. "Even as the Joker, you still act like your old self."

The Joker backed off. "Only with you," he said. "So, ah, how about I take you to Gordon?"

"What?"

"Don't worry. I have a _creative_ way of doing it and it includes a camera." The Joker bounced off the bed, skipping over to his dresser again. "Bob!" he yelled, giggling at the same time. The Joker took something out of the top drawer, and he wrote something on it.

Bob came to the door.

"You can come on in!"

Bob entered, his eyes passing over me to the Joker. "Yes, boss?"

"Leave this on Gordon's doorstep," the Joker ordered, handing Bob the thing he wrote on. It was a Joker playing card.

"What did you write on it?" I asked once Bob had left.

"An invitation to my movie," the Joker answered, "Which _you_ happen to be the star of."

_That _can't be good.

The Joker took out a rope from his dresser, and I became nervous. "You're _got_ to be joking," I said as he turned.

"Not this time, Shadow, not this time." He was coming at me with the rope.

"Oh no, you don't," I said. I shadowed underneath the bed and watched the Joker's feet as he halted.

"You're still, ah, in the room, Shadow."

That made me curious. How did he know? Some kind of sixth sense…or was it just his nose? Was his sense of smell as good as a dog's?

"You know, Shadow, I'm gonna win." He moved about the room, searching for possible shadows.

I let my conscience split and placed my shadow near the door. "Wanna bet?" I asked.

The Joker looked at my shadow, studying it. I started tapping my foot, crossing my arms. He grinned.

"I _know_ I'm gonna win," he said, licking his lips.

I shadowed to the window. "I doubt that." Again, he had to turn to face me. The Joker tilted his head, watching my every move. Again, I started tapping my foot.

Then, the Joker lunged at my shadow, and I returned to myself. The Joker dived onto the floor and reached under the bed. I screamed and tried to move away, but his hand clasped onto my wrist.

Shadowing away would have done nothing at that point. The Joker proved his strength again by easily pulling me out from underneath the bed. Once I was free from the bed, he bounced and sat on my chest.

"What a, ah, a _naughty _little shadow," the Joker said as he grabbed my hands. As he tied my hands, he said, "All I want to do is, ah, make you a star, Shadow."

"I'm pretty sure that means something _completely_ different from what you said," I said, trying to get my hands away from him.

The Joker smacked my cheek playfully. "C'mon, Shadow, I _planned_ this for you."

I stared at him in shock. "You _planned_ this?"

"It's to show the schemers that plans are useless. They _always_ have something go wrong."

"And what do you think will be for this plan to go wrong?"

"It's _meant_ to go wrong, _dar_-ling. Batman or the police will save you."

"What if they don't?" The Joker paused in the tying of his knot. "Didn't think of that, did you?" The Joker resumed tying his knot, and then he moved to tying my arms to my sides. "What if I happen to _die_ in this movie?"

"You won't," the Joker said. He sounded so certain.

"But _if_ I do…"

"_If_…if is the keyword in that statement, Shadow, _but_…if you _do _die, ah, I'd be _very_ upset."

I watched him as he made the next knot. "What did I tell you?" I asked, "While I was dealing with a blackout?"

The Joker didn't stop. He moved onto tying my legs. Obviously, he wasn't going to answer me.

"Please tell me, Heath," I pleaded. "How do you know that whatever I said to you was true?"

He stopped and looked at me. Then, the Joker lifted a finger. "I've learned," he said, "That even while you are half-there, you still naturally tell the truth." Then, he returned to binding my legs…as if that was an answer to my first question.

I thought for a moment. "Heath?"

"Hm?"

"How is this plan getting me to Gordon?"

"That, ah, isn't part of the plan. If you land in Gordon's hands, then let it be. If not, you're stuck with me, Shadow."

I smiled. "I'm liking the sound of the latter."

"Most victims wouldn't, ah, _want_ to stay with their kidnappers," the Joker said, playfully smacking my cheek.

"Yeah, but most 'victims' aren't in-." I stopped myself, but the Joker grinned.

"In _love _with their kidnappers," he supplied, easily.

"Is _that_ what I told you?"

"Quite ah sharp one, aren't you?"

"Don't make fun of me."

"I can make fun of you _whenever_ I want." The Joker leaned over to kiss the tip of my nose as he finished the third knot.

"Am I allowed to know what the plan is?" I asked.

"Only your part."

I rolled my eyes. "What am I supposed to do, _Director_?"

The Joker leaned over me again. "One," he said, raising a finger, "Play the victim. Two..." He lifted the second. "-Don't ruin the show."

"Movie," I corrected him.

"No, _show_." The Joker sat on my chest again and pulled something out of his pocket. "Now, time to make you _beautiful_."

My eyes widened when I realized what it was. "Makeup!" I shouted, trying to move away.

"Stop squirming," he ordered, clearly ticked off by my reaction. "It's just a bit of paint. It's washable."

"You _know_ how much I dislike that stuff."

"Haven't you noticed, ah, that you've been looking at it for the past three days? Not to mention you've _kissed_ it a good number of times."

I glowered at him.

"Oh, c'mon, Shadow, _smile_. It was always rare that you would give me a real smile. C'mon, if I give you one, will you give me one in return?"

"Depends," I growled.

The Joker grinned. "You're ever so stubborn." He pulled off a purple glove with his teeth, and he switched the paint tube to his other hand so he could pull off the other glove. The Joker squeezed the tube into his hand, showing white.

"You're going to make me look like you?" I demanded.

"Not entirely." He put the tube onto the ground and grabbed my chin with his free hand. "Don't move or I might, ah, _accidentally_ get it in your eyes."

I turned my head away, but he forced my face forward. His grip was firm and steady as he applied the face paint. The paint felt cold so I flinched from it, but the Joker held me steady. I just left him do it, hoping he wouldn't let me see it; I didn't even want to see myself look like him, _ever!_

The Joker turned my face from side-to-side, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he made sure that he liked the look. Then, he moved onto the lips.

"_What?_ No black eyes?" I asked.

"Kiss the air, Shadow. I want to, ah, get your lips in full." He had ignored my question. "All right-tah," the Joker said, but then he gave my makeover a critical look. "No…I guess we do need to add some black." He didn't apply it around my eyes; instead, he slapped it on my forehead and temples. "Not overly _thrilled_ with it, but…ah, it will do for now. Now's not the time to experiment."

"You're not coming near me with face paint ever again," I told him, sharply.

The Joker laughed. "You didn't enjoy that?"

"Shove it, Joker."

"Naughty, naughty. You might-tah want to be nice to the _Director_. You _do_ want to live, don't you?"

"At the present time, no."

A curious look flashed across his face. "Why?"

"I have warpaint on my face! I don't need makeup to make me look pretty."

"You're right, but right now, you're _beautiful_, Shadow."

"You _just_ insulted my natural beauty."

"Tell it to, ah, to not take it personally."

He was starting up a sense of humor, a Heath kind of humor.

The Joker still sat on my chest, simply taking to staring at my face.

"Enjoying yourself?" I asked.

"More like _resenting_ my artwork." The Joker shook his head. "It's just not _you_."

"Does it _have_ to be me when you're director?"

"Not really, ah, but I would like it to be." The Joker shook his head again, and then he looked up, his eyes narrowing. "How long have you, ah, stood there, _Bob_?"

I twisted my head, trying to see.

Bob took a step back. "Just got here, boss. Ryan's delivered the card."

"_My_ card," the Joker said.

"_Your_ card, sorry, boss."

"Is Peter still around?" Peter? I didn't know a Peter was among the Joker's men.

"Yes, he is, boss."

"Ask him for one of those, ah, _special _guns."

Bob glanced at me and grinned. He seemed to think the Joker was finally getting rid of me.

"Move _now_!" the Joker growled. Bob jumped in surprise and then left in a hurry. "I'm beginning to have the urge to let you loose and have you _sick_ him."

"Um, you're the dog, Joker, not me."

He looked sideways at me. "Are you still mad, ah, at me?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"Because you haven't referred to me as 'Mistah J' for some time."

"Just not in the mood right now."

Bob returned, and he went straight to the Joker, handing him a dart gun.

"The special gun," I said, looking curiously at him.

"Have you been having _sleep_ problems lately, Shadow?" the Joker asked, placing the barrel to my wrist.

My eyes widened. "Oh no, Joker, don't you-." I felt the stinging bite of the dart. "…If I wake up and find that you _screwed_ me over-."

"_Never_," the Joker said, leaning close to my face, "We have a movie to make. Just remember my two instructions."

"What were they again?" I could feel the sleeping drug making its way though my body.

My eyelids grew heavy as the Joker answered, "Play the victim and _don't ruin the show_."

"Movie," I corrected, my speech slurred with sleep.

"Have it your way," his voice echoed in response. Then, sleep overtook me.

* * *

**Joker: Lordlink13, there's something I want to, ah, ask you.**

**Lordlink13: Shoot.**

**Joker: Some readers and I want to know if, ah, you plan to kill me off.**

**Lordlink13: I can see why you're all worried, but that's just not something I'm going to tell you. That would ruin the ending.**

**Shadow: *trying to do Mistah J's skipwalk into the room* And another thing, Lordlink13, what happened to your chapter 20?**

**Lordlink13: What do you mean? I haven't typed it up yet.**

**Shadow: I was looking at your old notebook, the **_**blue**_** one, and it has chapter 20, but you went into your **_**red**_** notebook to re-write chapter 20.**

**Lordlink13: Oh…that. Well, since the readers are probably confused, let me explain. I wanted to get the idea down, and I was limited to seven pages at the end of my blue notebook. I wrote chapter 20, and went back through it, finding that I had gone **_**too**_** fast through the scene so I rewrote it into a new notebook, now my **_**red**_** notebook. The original copy of chapter 20 has become close to making two whole chapters.**

**Joker: Nice little, ah, story, but…I want to know if I die!**

**Lordlink13: You'll have to find out, Mister J!**

**Joker: *throws hands up into the air, frustrated***

**Shadow: Oh, and I remembered another thing. Mistah J wants to know if you **_**planned**_** this story out.**

**Lordlink13: I know the basics of it, but other than that, I just let my imagination run free off the lease.**

**Shadow: Like a dog chasing cars.**

**Lordlink13: *grins* I won't know what to do once I finish this story.**

**Joker: Make a sequel!**

**Lordlink13: Why? Say if you **_**did**_** get killed off in this story, what's the point of a sequel?**

**Joker: The readers seem to, ah, **_**like**_** Shadow more than me.**

**Shadow: That's not true. They searched on fanfiction for "Joker" and found this story!**

**Lordlink13: If you're so worried, Mister J, ask the readers. In your reviews, my dear readers, answer this question: Do you like Shadow more than the Joker?**

**Joker: No, please don't. The tally's gonna hurt.**

**Shadow: Not if it's in your favor, Mistah J.**

**Joker: *glares at her and then stalks off* Someone's going to die if the tally's against me.**

**Shadow&Lordlink13: Ignore him and tell the truth on the question. Question is: Do you like Shadow more than the Joker? Please review and tell us!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Lordlink13: I'm uploading this one early because this weekend is crazy for me. I won't have time to even get to a computer to update. The next time for me to upload a chapter will be on either Tuesday or Wednesday (the latter being the latest). Sorry, but I hope you continue to enjoy this.**

* * *

A harsh wind awoke me, the whistling combining with the blood pounding in my ears. Pressure resided in my head and behind my eyes. The breeze blew my hanging hair, and I found it difficult to concentrate through the pounding in my ear. With some effort, I opened my eyes to find myself hanging upside down.

"What the…" I winced; no wonder why my head hurt.

"Ah, and sleeping beauty awakens." I tried to turn to face the Joker, but I couldn't, not with my arms tied to my sides. The Joker was kind enough to do the honors in turning me.

The Joker started giggling as I narrowed my eyes at him. He held a video camera, which was on record – the red light was on. "Say hello to the camera, _dar_-ling," the Joker snickered.

I tried to spit at it, but it missed, landing right in front of the Joker.

"Missed, ah, your target, you tough cookie." The Joker laughed. "What's your name?"

"None of your business," I snapped at him.

"I didn't, ah, _say_ it was anyone's business. Gotham needs to know its shadowy guardian who seems to be doing a great deal more than the vigilante Batman." The Joker giggled. "Caught Riddler and Catwoman, ah, red-handed, didn't ya?"

The Joker laughed insanely as the wind blew me around. I swung out to see the city and its bright lights. I wondered what he was hanging me over, but when I looked down, I regretted it.

"You call yourself what?" the Joker asked, turning me around again. I had my eyes closed. "I, ah, hope you're afraid of heights, _dar_-ling," he said, "You can always hope that, ah, _Batman_ will avenge your death."

Paralyzing fear had frozen me. The only thing I could move was my eyes. I looked at the Joker, pleadingly. He thought it was a convincing act so he laughed.

"C'mon, darling," the Joker urged, "Say hello to the schemers of Gotham!" He cracked up, even though I personally didn't think it was funny. I was paralyzed with fear.

"Release her, Joker," a raspy voice ordered.

"Well, if it isn't Batman," the Joker responded, giggling. "You always seem to have a very poor choice of words, but I'm glad you came to be part of the show."

"This isn't a show," Batman said.

The Joker tapped the video camera. "Are you _blind_? Do you need a few seconds to let out a few soundwaves?"

Batman lunged forward in an attempt to knock the camera away, but the Joker jumped back, holding the camera steady. He laughed with amusement.

"C'mon, Batman, you can't deny that _that_ was funny."

"Is this revenge on me?" Batman asked.

"For hanging me upside down a year ago?" The Joker tapped his cheek with a knife, which he happened to be holding in his free hand. "No, but that's where I got the idea. So, I'm, ah, curious. What are you going to do to rescue the girl?"

I looked down again as I swung around. Bad choice! Closing my eyes, I say what I had seen underneath me. I was hanging over water!

Fear still held me. I tried to distract myself by thinking of the name for my greatest fear. It wasn't acrophobia, the fear of heights, or hydrophobia, the fear of water. There _had_ to be some kind of phobia name for the fear of hanging over water.

I heard the Joker laughing, and I opened my eyes again to see Batman tackle him. My eyes wandered to look at the water, but I closed them tightly. What kind of fear made you _want_ to face it?

I heard police sirens, but that didn't comfort me. The Joker didn't know about my fear because he had left years before I developed it. I would've been fine if he had hung me over a street or something, but…water looked like a monster to me.

Tears sprang into my eyes as I opened them again. The wind had blown me back to see Batman had the Joker on the ground, holding him down by the throat.

"Go ahead and kill me, Batman," the Joker said, laughing. "It's not like I haven't been choked before."

"I'm not going to kill you."

"Ah, but one day you will, Batman. If you can't confine me in Arkham, then you'll have to kill me in order to keep Gotham in order." The Joker licked his lips and added, "Then again, there _are_ others that you need to deal with. I would, ah, give you a proposal, but why would you take that from me?"

It was like they had completely forgotten I was there. I did notice that the Joker's camera lay on its side, facing him and Batman. That would make an interesting movie for all to see.

"C'mon, Batman, her time's ticking away," the Joker giggled. "You have no choice, _but_ to kill me. Otherwise, I'd stop you from saving her." He licked his lips again. "What are you going to do? If she survives, then I'll turn her, just as I turned Harvey Dent before he died."

Batman's grip on the Joker's throat tightened. I didn't want to look, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. The Joker didn't make a sound, only smiled up at Batman. He released his hold on Batman's wrists and let him choke him to death.

Sobs choked me. I wanted to tell Batman to leave him alone. I wanted to tell the Joker to fight back. I wanted to tell him that I truly loved him. But I simply couldn't.

Even from where I was, I could see a glazed look appear in the Joker's eyes. He was still smiling, even though he was unconscious.

Batman released his grip on the Joker's throat. I breathed a bit easier when I saw the Joker's chest rise and fall. Batman stood up and approached me.

Heath Ledger proved to be a very _convincing_ actor.

The Joker jumped up and leaped on Batman from behind. He brought Batman down and then yelled, "Cut her loose!"

I looked over to see Bob with a hatchet. He stood by a bunch of ropes, which were what held me over the water.

"No!" I screamed, "Don't cut them!"

The Joker sat on Batman's back, holding him down with a hand. With his free hand, he grabbed the camera and aimed it at me. "Say goodbye to the world, _dar_-ling," he said, giggling." Batman jerked, but the Joker shoved him back down. "Don't _move_," the Joker growled. "You're shaking the camera. People enjoy shows that have good quality." He laughed. "This will be on the news within the hour."

"I'm begging you!" I shouted.

"To correctly beg, darling, you need to, ah, to get down on your knees, which in your current condition is quite _impossible_." The Joker giggled.

I glanced down at the monstrous water below and then up at Bob, who stood with the hatchet over his head. "Drop the ax! Please!"

"She has a poor choice of words too, just like you, Batman," the Joker laughed, pushing the vigilante's face into the ground. "Must run through every one of Gotham's heroes. Quite a nasty failing."

I was sweating now, and I had difficultly breathing. Knowing that the water waited for me, ready to swallow me, did _not_ comfort me.

"_Please_," I begged, looking directly at the Joker. He stared back at me curiously, cocking his head to the side. "Don't let me go…" My voice became weak. My fear completed its paralyzing effect on me. I hung there as limp as a daddy long-leg spider when you held it by its longest leg. Paralyzed.

I threw a pleading look in the Joker's direction. My throat constricted, disabling me from making a sound.

Then, it dawned on Heath Ledger that something was terribly wrong.

"Wait," the Joker said, but Bob had already dropped the hatchet.

The ropes snapped, and I plunged towards the water at a frightening speed. I couldn't scream, couldn't breathe; I couldn't even close my eyes. The water came at me so fast. There was nothing I could do.

I hit the water, and a shocking cold swept through me, hurting me. Water rushed into my nose, and I gagged, allowing more into my mouth.

This was it. I was going to drown. My fear still held me in a paralyzed state, and it probably wasn't going to release me in time for me to think straight.

I don't know how long I was under the water, slowly drowning. It was agony. I tried to breathe out the water I had inhaled, but coughing allowed more in.

I was losing consciousness when someone jumped into the water. The figure found me and grabbed me about the waist, pulling me to the surface. As soon as we broke the surface, I lost it to the darkness.

* * *

The Joker sputtered as he broke the surface with Shadow.

Without a second's thought, he had dropped his camera and flung himself over the edge after Shadow as soon as the ropes had snapped. Breaking the surface of the water, he couldn't find her at first, but his ever racing mind did not give him time to panic. He soon found her, sinking into the harbor.

The Joker spat out water and then looked at her, seeing that she had lost consciousness. He saw the police waiting on the harbor, and he heard the siren of an ambulance.

As he swam over to the harbor with Shadow, he roughly washed off his warpaint with his wet glove.

"Someone got her!" a policeman shouted.

"Bring her here."

"I'm bringing her," the Joker yelled at them with his husky voice. He came close to the harbor and heaved her up as high as he could. The police grabbed her, and then, the Joker slipped underneath the water, swimming out into the harbor. He wasn't going to get caught.

The Joker emerged for only air and then moved on until he reached where the SUV was parked alongside the harbor. He could trust the police enough to take care of Shadow, for now. However, there was _someone_ he had to deal with.

The Joker approached the SUV, not caring that he was soaking wet. Two of his men around the car looked surprised, but the look he gave them told them not to ask.

He shoved one of them aside so he could wretch open the car door. Shadow's bag sat on the front seat. The Joker grabbed her gun and then headed for the building he had planned to drop her off.

He entered the building, some kind of famous business, and his other henchmen looked startled to see their boss coming from below rather than the top. The fact that he was soaking wet and he wasn't wearing makeup put them on edge. His scars made a smile yet his mouth formed the most menacing frown.

The Joker ignored his men and went to the elevator, pushing the button. While he waited for it, he turned and faced his henchmen, almost daring them to even move. When the elevator doors opened, the Joker backstepped into the elevator and pushed the top most button, still scowling at his henchmen until the doors closed.

The Joker stood stock still, his mind whirling in several different directions at once. He worried for Shadow, wondering if they had managed to revive her. Fury raced through his veins, making him feel like he was on fire. Guilt made him stand so still, the stillest he had ever stood since he had mentally become the Joker. Curiosity made him wonder if when she awoke, would she blame him for what happened to her.

He didn't know that she had developed a paralyzing fear; he had always believed that she was fearless, or at least she could control herself even if she was afraid…he had hoped that if anything went wrong, she could have shadowed away.

The elevator dinged and slowly came to a stop. The Joker's grip on Shadow's gun tightened as the doors slid open. Like earlier, no one was out in the hallway, not that would have stopped the furious Joker. He climbed the staircase that would bring him to the top of the building.

Opening the door to the top, the Joker wasn't surprised to see Batman tying up Bob.

"Does the Joker have a thing for that woman?" Batman asked.

A slight smile appeared on the Joker's face. He raised the gun, pointing it at Bob's head. "Do _you_ have a thing for Catwoman?" he asked in his normal voice.

Bob stiffened, seeing the gun barrel pointed at him. Batman stood up and faced the Joker.

"I have a, ah, a reputation for being unpredictable, Batman. The jump after the woman, no matter how you want to view it, was an act of _unpredictableness_." The Joker motioned for Batman to move, but the bat didn't.

"There's one thing you're not unpredictable about," the Batman said. He actually sounded _smug_.

"_Wrong_, Batman," the Joker said. He moved the gun to point at Batman and pulled the trigger.

Batman was caught by surprise. He clenched where the bullet hit him in the chest and then collapsed onto the ground. The Joker lowered the gun, slipping it into his pocket and pulling out switchblade.

As he clicked it open, he performed his "skipwalk" – according to Shadow – over to Batman, stopping to hover over him.

"I wouldn't kill you, Batman; that's, ah, true enough, _but_…" The Joker tapped his knife to his cheek again. "I'm not exactly the Joker at the moment." The Joker meant to reveal his lack of warpaint, but before Batman could respond, the Joker said, "I've reverted to my younger mobster-self for the time being."

The Joker kicked the Batman onto his side and then grabbed his head, slamming it onto the ground several times. He left Batman there, turning to the tied up Bob.

"You're, ah, next, _Bob_," he said casually.

"B-Boss, please," Bob whimpered, struggling against his bounds. "I-I only followed y-your orders."

"Did you follow my last one?" the Joker asked, cruelly. "Did you even _hear_ my last order?" He leaped at the man, and Bob screamed. The Joker punched him in the face, knocking him onto his side. Energy burst from his lean figure as he pounded Bob, punching and kicking him to the point that the man was bruised and crying for mercy. The Joker pulled back his last punch and actually knelt by the sobbing man, patting his cheek.

"There, there, Bob," he whispered, softly, "I won't hurt you anymore." The Joker placed his knife in the man's mouth, pulling his cheek taut. "Cheer up, Bob, I wanna see you _smile_."

Bob choked on his tears, squeezing his eyes shut, preparing himself.

"_No_, Bob!" the Joker yelled, "I said to _cheer up_!" He turned the knife into the taut cheek, cutting into the skin at the corner of Bob's mouth. The Joker held his blade steady, simply watching Bob whimper in pain.

So many options…he could kill him or let him live. Either way, he would be faced with more options. He could decide how the man was going to die or he could decide if someone else was going to kill him. So many options…

A real grin stretched on the Joker's lips. He let his tongue slide over his lower lip, wetting it. "I've decided, ah, your fate, Bob," the Joker told the man. "It's a secret, but I _will_ give you a hint. It won't be me who decides in the very end." The Joker laughed as he ripped his switchblade out of Bob's mouth.

* * *

**Shadow: Oh no! He just killed Bob!**

**Joker: You've wanted him, ah, dead for a great many chapters, Shadow.**

**Shadow: **_**I**_** wanted to kill him!**

**Lordlink13: Calm down and don't rush to conclusions.**

**Joker: You mean he's, ah, **_**not**_** dead?!**

**Lordlink13: Can you say a whole paragraph without pausing?**

**Joker: I can.**

**Lordlink13: All right, rant about Bob for a whole paragraph, and you don't have time to think it over. Starting now!**

**Joker: What if I don't want to talk about Bob? C'mon, I didn't like him in the first place. The only reason why I'm mad at him is, ah-.**

**Lordlink13: Obviously you can't. You got to the third sentence at least.**

**Joker: *glares* Do you have something **_**against**_** me all of a sudden?**

**Shadow: Of course not.**

**Lordlink13: You know what, Joker, I've decided that I'll kill you off.**

**Shadow: DON'T DO IT!!!**

**Lordlink13: And nobody's going to stop me.**

**Joker: Readers, review and please tell her not to do it!**

**

* * *

**

**Joker: All right, so far, I'm liking the way the tally's going on who everyone likes better.**

**Shadow: And you were getting all depressed...**

**Joker: You, ah, know my mood swings are quicker than anyone else's.**

**Shadow: I didn't say that I _didn't_. What's the tally?**

**Joker: Three to one. *smirks* And **Scarecrow'sGotMyHeart1 **told me to go kill someone.**

**Shadow: I think Bob counts for that.**

**Joker: We're, ah, not sure if I killed him.**

**Shadow: Not even _you_ know?**

**Joker: *shakes head* And look at this, **midnighthorrors**is _still_ fighting for my remaining alive.** **I wonder if Lordlink13's seen the reviews yet?**

**Shadow: Um, Mistah J...**

**Joker: What?**

**Shadow: How can she be writing this without having read the reviews?**

**Joker: Stupid moment. It happens...when I haven't killed anyone for a good while.**

**Shadow: And we're not counting Bob?**

**Joker: Ask Lordlink13 about that one. And you, ah, know what else. I like **Scarecrow'sGotMyHeart1**. Know why? Cause **Scarecrow'sGotMyHeart1 **doesn't want me to kill Batman. C'mon, ah, Gotham would be so _boring_ without the Bat.**

**Shadow: Did you read the rest of **midnighthorrors**'s review after the part about keeping you alive?**

**Joker: I'll, ah, be honest, no.**

**Shadow: "I really want him [Mr. J] and Shadow to end up together."**

**Joker: *wide eyes* Really?**

**Shadow: Really...**

**Lordlink13: Would you two stop that?**

**Joker&Shadow: Where the _heck_ did you come from?**

**Lordlink13: *rolls eyes* I hope you two aren't boring the readers. If I lose anyone, I'll kill you both before chapter 22.**

**Shadow: Oh dear, she's serious.**

**Joker: Why so ser-?**

**Lordlink13: I'm warning you, Joker.**

**Joker: She's not happy with me. Like I said earlier, readers, please review and tell Lordlink13 not to kill me...or Shadow for that matter!**

**Shadow: Yes, please! As sad as it may seem, the Joker and I are at Lordlink13's mercy.**

**Lordlink13: Shut up, you two. I'm trying to type up chapter 21!**

**Joker: Don't forget to review and _tell her NOT to kill either of us!_**

**Lordlink13: BEAT IT!!**

**Shadow: *pulls Joker out of the room* She's serious, Mistah J, c'mon, puppy!**

**Joker: Good grief....  
**


	21. Chapter 21

**Joker: *stops in the door* Wait, ah, what the heck is going on?**

**Lordlink13: What?**

**Joker: *points to computer screen* You're such a liar! You told, ah, all your readers in Chapter 20 that you couldn't get on until Tuesday.**

**Lordlink13: I overreacted to my SATs and work. I have a few spare moments and I happened to have most of chapter 21 typed up so I thought I'd finish it and put it up quick. *to the readers* Yeah, sorry for the little lie-.**

**Joker: That's a BIG lie, Lordlink13!**

**Lordlink13: *shoves him out the door* So here's chapter 21. Now, I don't think I'll be able to get Chapter 22 done by Monday, but I'll try to use every spare moment that I happen to get.**

**Joker: *in the doorway* You should just, ah, not even bother telling them cause you know you'll find _many_ spare moments.**

**Lordlink13: *pushes him out into the hallway again* Go away!**

**Joker: *out in the hallway* No need to be so mean.  
**

* * *

I coughed up water, and someone turned me on my side so then I didn't choke on what I was trying to get out of my lungs. It took me a few moments – which felt like minutes to me – to clear my lungs. My chest hurt, and breathing was a trial on my aching lungs.

I started shivering as a cold blast of wind hit me. Someone placed his jacket on my shoulders. As I wrapped it around my closely, I realized that someone had already cut through my bonds. Remembering why I had been bound, I started crying.

"It's all right now, Jane." It was Gordon who wrapped an arm around my shoulder, rubbing my arm to comfort me. Soaked and terrified, I didn't care who it was who held me, just let it be anyone but _him_.

They put me on a stretcher and placed me in the ambulance. All these people, they scared me, and I weakly asked for Gordon. He was the only one I knew, not well but well enough to trust him. There would be no fear of being arrested by him until after I had recovered.

After he had spoken to his men, Gordon climbed into the ambulance along with an EMT. Gordon didn't know what to say other than to tell me that I was safe from the Joker.

I knew that he was wrong. I would never be safe from the Joker, not unless I left Gotham City.

Gordon tried to spark up a conversation with me, but since I didn't want to talk, he talked to the EMT who was checking me for any sign of shock.

I couldn't stop the memory of hanging there over water from playing over and over in my head. Each time it replayed, I would shake my head and have a sickening feeling in my stomach. The emptiness of the air that separated me and the water…I could feel it like it was real, and in reaction, I clenched onto the stretched like I was holding on for dear life.

The ride to the hospital was lost to me. I only remembered hearing Gordon and the EMT talking and my reactions to the ever replaying memory. As they took my stretcher out, I must have passed out because I don't remember anything that happened until I awoke to find myself in an unfamiliar, white room.

I lay on an uneven, hard bed with rails. My head was propped up with flat, lumpy pillows. There was a constant beeping sound, which had to prove my heart was still beating. After awhile, I found the beeping sound quite obnoxious.

"Jane?" I turned my head to see a woman seated next to me. "I'm Barbara, Jim's wife."

"Hello." My voice sounded weak. "Where's Gordon?"

"He's getting some rest." She motioned behind her where Gordon was sitting in a char, sleeping. "How are you feeling?"

_That_ was a good question. "Achy," I answered, my lower lip trembling.

"No need to be afraid, Jane," Barbara told me. "You'll be save here until you recover."

"I don't like heights over water." She was too friendly for me to hold it in. "I'm not afraid of the Joker; he's just a mad dog." I felt myself beginning to shake. Anger couldn't be suppressed when you couldn't even handle being paralyzed by fear.

Barbara rubbed my hand while I tried to calm myself down. "Jim's told me about you a little. Jane McKinley isn't your real name, yet you have hospital records to prove you are."

"I'm sure the police can investigate pretty far, but not far enough for them to actually know me." I shifted; the hospital bed was proving to be very uncomfortable. "Anything can be altered and copied once you get your hands on it. Yes, in many ways, I'm a criminal, and I most definitely deserve to go to jail. I wouldn't be surprised if once I'm recovered, Gordon locks me in a cell."

I glanced at her for her reaction.

She seemed very calm. "I don' see how you can be like the other criminals in this city; you aren't criminally insane."

"And you are the one to judge that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Barbara leaned forward in her chair. "Jane, when you were younger, what was your childhood dream?"

"A lawyer…or a detective." It was an honest answer.

"Then why did you become a criminal? You could still become a lawyer or a detective. Everyone has a motive for becoming what they are. What is yours?"

She wasn't a subtle woman, but I found that I liked her.

"I had a family once. A mother, a father, a little brother…as loving as your family most likely is. I was twelve when they were murdered. I did what some emotionally crushed kids would do; I went out for revenge. To do that, I had to establish myself as a criminal in order to get to the man who killed them."

I stopped, noticing tears in my eyes. I didn't feel sad at all, yet I was crying. It convinced Barbara.

"You poor dear…" Barbara whispered.

"By the time I had avenged my family, being a criminal was the only thing I knew. It's the only way I could survive, and I've thrived modestly. I'm not into the wealth of a criminal. I wish so deeply to live a normal life…" The last line was a complete lie, but I got so caught up in the story that I choked on my flowing tears.

Barbara comforted me, but it did not to suppress my anger. I was only opening up like this because of _him_. It dawned on me then.

I hated the Joker as much as I loved him.

* * *

I was in the hospital for a total of three days. Other than my conversation with Barbara, everything else was a blur. The beeping sound annoyed me so much by day two that I ripped off the wires where the doctors had to restrain me. Only then was I allowed to listen to an Ipod, not like that was what I wanted in the first place.

Barbara drove me home, and by that time, I was so mentally and emotionally out of it that I didn't worry about telling her where I lived.

She offered to bring me in, but I politely declined the offer. My emotions were on edge, ready to switch at any moment. Barbara actually looked relieved when I declined, despite how hard she tried to hide it.

I walked to my apartment building, retrieving the keys from my pocket. How I still had them, I don't know, but I sued them to get into the building.

All the lights were off when I entered, but that was no surprise. My landlord shut off the lights at ten thirty, and it was ten past eleven. I headed for the stairs and jumped when I saw a light heading my way from the first floor.

"Jane, is that you?" It was my landlord, carrying a flashlight.

"Yes, it's me," I answered. "Why are you up, Mrs. Wood? It's late."

"I wanted to make sure that you got here safely," she replied. "Are you all right?"

"I'm better than I was three days ago."

"Well, I've had children before; it's a natural instinct to worry about others for me. I'll come up tomorrow morning to see how you're doing. Now you must be tired," she said before I could say anything, "Go on up and rest. Have a goodnight."

"Um…goodnight, Mrs. Wood," I managed to say before she disappeared down the hallway.

I stood there on the bottom step, wondering about…why I was standing there. It had just slipped my mind. Shaking my head, I headed upstairs.

I unlocked the door to my apartment and closed it behind me. All seemed quiet until I turned around.

The Joker clamped his hand over my mouth before I could scream, and he pushed me against the door. "Listen to me, Shadow," he pleaded.

I kneed him in the groin and shoved him away, causing him to fall on his back. Frightened, I jumped over him and ran to my bedroom. I slammed the door behind me and locked it. For a desperate measure, I grabbed my chair and jammed it under the doorknob. Then, I backed away from it, watching it fearfully like the door was going to eat me.

"Shadow," the Joker called, soberly.

"Stay away from me," I yelled at him. "I don't want you near me ever again! Leave me alone! I don't want _anything_ to do with you, Heath Ledger!" Then, I covered my mouth and burst into tears, backing into a corner. I slid to the floor as the overwhelming loneliness crept up on me, and I hugged my legs, putting my head on my legs as I sobbed hopelessly.

The hospital had only helped with my recovery over my fear, but the three-day stay had done nothing to mend my control over my emotions.

Talking to Barbara had opened old wounds, and I felt the grief for my murdered family again. I smelled the blood and saw the lifeless bodies. The memory was so vivid that I jerked to pull free of it.

I hated the man who had killed my innocent family. Had he not killed them, I would have become a lawyer or a detective as I had originally planned. Had he not killed them, I wouldn't have become the criminal that I am. Had he not killed them, I wouldn't have gone out for revenge. Had he not killed them, I wouldn't have developed my greatest fear in the first place!

Because of him, I had developed my greatest fear. Because I had developed that fear, I had come to hate the Joker as much as I loved him.

My emotions whirled for many minutes, swinging every few seconds from hate to anger to grief to fear and back again. When my watch beeped to tell me it was midnight, my emotions finally settled down, leaving me exhausted.

I was too tired to move so I slept in my curled position. When I awoke, sunlight streamed into my room, blinding me with its brightness for a few moments. My eyes ached so I pressed my palms into them, gently rubbing.

Then, there was a knock on the door, and I flinched.

"Jane?" Mrs. Wood's voice called. "It's me, Mrs. Wood. I came to check on you."

"I'm fine, Mrs. Wood," I said, and then, I became suspicious. "How did you get in?"

"I have a key to all the rooms, Jane. Besides…" She paused and then continued. "You let your door unlocked."

I relaxed; it was true. Stiffly, I came out of my curled position and approached the door. I wiped my eyes as I removed the chair – the brightness of the sun had caused them to tear again. My hand trembled as I unlocked the door.

"What's taking so long, deary?"

"Um…nothing," I said, hesitantly. When I opened the door, I realized that I had been tricked.

The Joker stuck out his foot to keep me from closing the door, even though I tried anyway. He shouldered his way in, and I backed away, screaming. The Joker roughly shoved me backwards onto the bed.

"Stay away from me!" I screamed at him.

"No," he answered, coldly. The Joker jumped onto the bed as I tried to escape, but he easily trapped me underneath him.

I screamed again, but he covered my mouth. My attempts to get him off me failed. I hit him until he grabbed my wrists, one at a time since he still had to cover my mouth. He jammed one of my wrists under his knee, and the other he held down.

Once the Joker had trapped my wrists, I started crying.

I should have guessed it was him. Mrs. Wood didn't pause in the middle of a sentence. He was an actor, capable of changing his voice, altering it to copy someone else's. No one could mimic _his_; it was too unique.

"Shadow." He released my mouth.

"No…"

"Look at me."

"No."

"_Look at me!"_

I shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut. I feared him, afraid of what he might do to me to make me cooperate. "I said…I didn't want anything to do with you…"

"I'm _not_ leaving you, whether you like it or not." The Joker grabbed my chin to force me to look at him, but I refused to open my eyes. "I let you go with Gordon so then they could take care of you physically. I _waited_ for them to, ah, return you here."

"Where you were waiting for me?" I snapped, my emotions going haywire again. "Did you not _think_ that there was a change that I would blame you for what happened and hate you for it?"

"Go ahead and, ah, blame and hate me for it, even though I _am_ innocent on that. I'll take the full force until you realize whose fault it really was."

"Who's was it then?" I demanded. "If not you, then who?"

"_That_, ah, you must figure out for yourself, _Jane_."

I stared hard at him, but it was difficult to see his unpainted face through my tears. I tried to locate his eyes, but it was impossible. The best I could do was stare where I thoughts they would be.

"You're cruel," I told him.

A short giggle passed his lips as he stroked my cheek with a finger, his hand still cupping my chin. "You _just_, ah, noticed?" His body shuddered as he suppressed his laughter. "I can tell, ah, that you're not emotionally stable."

"Because of you!" I shrieked at him.

"Shh, Shadow," the Joker said, putting a finger on my lips. "No need to warn anyone."

"I think I do. Too bad I can't put a restraining order on you. You break the law anyway."

"Ah-Actually, if you _could_ get a restraining order on me, I wouldn't break it." I stared at him, blinking my eyes to clear them. "It mustn't have sunken in yet, even though I've, ah, said it so many times."

"You tend to say things in a jokester code," I pointed out as his face finally came into clear view.

"Then let me be, ah, _blunt_ about it. You're different from everyone else, the sanest person I know. Compared to you, everyone is insane."

I raised an eyebrow. "Including you?"

He grinned. "Including me." He shifted and continued. "I didn't realize that you have the fear of hanging over water, but when I saw the paralyzing fear in your eyes…" He paused, seeming to struggle with the words. "I realized what my ultimate fear was."

I waited for him to say it, but the Joker didn't say anymore. I could have guessed it, but I wanted to hear it from him. "What is it?" I prompted.

Never have I ever seen such an expression on the Joker's face, even when he didn't wear his warpaint. It was serious, but mixed with grief, guilt, pain, and _fear_. The Joker, at that every moment, was scared.

"Losing you," he whispered, "I realize that I can't live without you because I love you. I always have."

"You…_love_ me?" He nodded, sucking on his lower lip. I watched him in shock. The Joker's facial expression was crumbling; his identity _as_ the Joker was crumbling. This was too emotional for the Joker to handle.

"Heath?" I whispered. The Joker looked away like he was unable to face me. He was hiding something from me as he seemed to wipe something on his jacket, rubbing against it like a dog. I moved my head so then I could see before he managed to hide what it was. I saw his eyes glisten with tears.

_The Joker was crying!_

* * *

**Shadow: Awww, he's crying.**

**Joker: *walks into room* Are you going to shove me out the door again?**

**Lordlink13: No, not this time. You can come in now, puppy.**

**Joker: *clicks open a switchblade* Don't you start that!**

**Shadow: *looking at reviews* Hey, Mistah J, you're still winning in the Liking Department.**

**Joker: What's, ah, the score?**

**Shadow: Five to ten. Of course, whoever likes me ends up saying that he likes you too.**

**Joker: Since when were we equal?**

**Shadow: Since you yelled at me when I called myself your henchman.**

**Joker: You're not a henchman!**

**Lordlink13: If you two are going to get into a fight, I will throw both of you out the window.**

**Joker: Sounds like fun.**

**Shadow: Sure, you'll enjoy that.**

**Joker: You would too.**

**Shadow: *points out the window* There's water underneath this window, Mistah J.**

**Joker: Oh...never mind. You can throw me out twice to make up for Shadow.**

**Lordlink13: Such a willing little puppy dog. Where's your teeth? A growl would be nice to hear too.**

**Joker: *growls***

**Lordlink13: Not funny. Review readers! I love reading those reviews...and the same goes with Mister J and Shadow since they seem to be sneaking on whenever I'm not in the room.**

**Shadow: The shadow always follows the dog.**

**Joker: Dog follows the car.**

**Lordlink13: *rolls eyes* So I'm the car?**

**Joker: No, the story's the car, and you're the driver.**

**Lordlink13: *shakes head*  
**


	22. Chapter 22

**Joker: Who thinks I'm getting soft?!**

**Shadow: The name's** Sinario**.**

**Joker: I'm gonna-.**

**Shadow: No, you're not. If you kill** Sinario**, Lordlink13 will kill you off.**

**Joker: Who made you in charge?**

**Shadow: Since Lordlink13's not here, I am in charge, Mistah J.** Sinario**, don't worry; I'll have Lordlink13 talk to Mistah J later.**

**Joker: Where is she in the first place?**

**Shadow: Reading the reviews in the other room.**

**Joker: I'm not getting soft.**

**Shadow: Technically, you are.**

**Joker: *taps foot* I need to talk to Lordlink13 about that.**

**Shadow: C'mon, she has you softing more later too, but** Sinario**, Lordlink13 has plans on making up for it. The Joker doesn't get emotionally unless it's for a reason. C'mon, how else was he going to express his love for me.**

**Joker: That sounds awkward, coming from you.**

**Shadow: I know, I wish Lordlink13 was here to have said it. Onto the story...**

* * *

"Oh, Heath…" My voice cracked as tears filled my eyes. I yanked my wrists free from underneath his knee and his hand. Gently, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him toward me.

His body shook as he slowly lowered himself, covering me completely. I stroked his hair as the Joker buried his face in my shoulder. I held him tightly, humming a random song soothingly. I would never forget that moment, the moment that the Joker was shoved aside and Heath Ledger came out emotionally.

He cared about me. He _loved_ me! I had never thought I'd ever hear those words from him, especially after that day at the park, ten years ago.

"I love you, Heath," I whispered. There was no way I could deny how I felt about him; I couldn't deny that my heart raced when I saw him, and my breath caught in my throat when he laughed. When he smiled, my insides seemed to melt. Why I hadn't noticed how I reacted to him until now I'll never know.

I felt the Joker turn his head, pressing his lips to my neck. "Say it again," he whispered into my throat.

"I love you…" The Joker kissed my neck, making his way toward my lips. "I love you so much…" He cut me off, pressing mouth to mine. His arms slid underneath me, hugging me tightly as he continued to kiss me passionately. I could taste his tears on his lips, and I wouldn't be surprised if he could taste mine.

The Joker gripped the bottom of my shirt just as a knock sounded on the door.

"Jane?" Mrs. Wood's voice said. Oh dear…

The Joker jerked away, grabbing something from his pocket. I grabbed his arm to stop him, and with a surge of strength, I rolled us off the bed and onto the floor.

The Joker was the unfortante one, being the one to break my fall. I covered his mouth before he could say anything as I groaned out loud.

"Jane, are you all right?" Mrs. Wood sounded worried.

"I'm fine," I answered, wrestling one-handed for the weapon the Joker had in his pocket.

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I just fell off the bed. You scared me." I ripped the weapon out of the Joker's hand, recognizing it as my gun. Why he had it in his pocket, I don't know, but I was going to find out later for sure.

I heard the bedroom door open, and I acted the part of getting to my feet. As I got up, I kept a foot on the Joker's chest to keep him down, and I quickly slid my gun underneath my mattress.

My landlord stood there in the doorway. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah," I answered, patting my hair down to give the impression that I had just woken up.

"You were still asleep? It's noon, Jane."

Really? "I didn't set an alarm, Mrs. Wood," I said, "I couldn't fall asleep easily."

"You'll be messed up on the sleeping schedule for awhile."

Ah, reality check! I've been messed up since the Joker found me six and a half days ago! Whoa…another reality check. I've been with him for almost a week and he's already landed me in a hospital. Some kind of warning bell should be going off in my head, but there was nothing. Either that or I wasn't listening to it.

"I'll survive," I said.

"Are you hungry?" Mrs. Wood asked.

"No, not right now. It will probably hit my later."

Mrs. Wood looked doubtful. "Do you want me to stay?"

"No, I should be fine. Thanks for your concern anyway. If I need anything, I'll call you." Mrs. Wood still remained in the doorway. "Really, I'm fine, Mrs. Wood. I wouldn't lie to you."

She seemed hesitant, but she nodded. "All right, don't wait to call if you need anything."

"I won't." I followed her out, thanking her again, and then closed my apartment door. Then, I turned and leaned against the door, realizing that my breathing as accelerated. I locked the door before I returned to my bedroom.

The Joker sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed, waiting for me. I bounced onto the bed and into his arms. He fell onto his back, taking me with him. Gingerly, he kissed me.

"Barely a week," I told him, "And you've landed me in a hospital already."

The Joker stiffened.

"I'm not blaming you. You didn't know about my fear of hanging over water."

"How did, ah, you develop it?" He was being careful, but at that moment, I didn't mind telling him.

"I was twelve," I began.

"Wait, ah, was this before or after I left?"

"After, you had been gone for a few weeks. I lost my family. They were murdered while I was hanging in the city library. With no one to turn to, I went out on my own, creating my life as a criminal so then I could find him.

"It took a few months to find him, or more like, I led him to find me. He hired me as one of his henchmen, and I played the obedient one. I always knew his mood. Being the only girl in his gang, I was hit on quite often, but I didn't let them get to me." A small smile came to my face. "I guess I can say that _that_ was my training with knives.

"I endured being his henchman for several months until I decided to kill him before I turned thirteen.

"He called me in one night, and as obedient as ever, I went, except fully armed like I thought it was a planning meeting. He sent me to a room I have never been in before. He claimed it was for my last bit of training." I gulped, remembering how nervous I had been. "As soon as I walked into the room, a trap was triggered, and I found myself hanging by my ankle, upside down.

"That wasn't bad. I thought that my training was to get down, but…" I hesitated, my body stiffening as my mind replayed the memory.

The Joker tightened his grip on me. "What happened?" he asked, bringing my back to reality.

"The floor opened underneath me. Several floors, I couldn't count how many, separated me from the dark water. I was fine…until he dropped me a floor.

"It got me completely by surprise. I thought he was going to drop me all the way, but the sudden stop hurt. It wasn't even a gradual stop. He told me that from the beginning, he recognized who I was. I couldn't believe it; he had _known_ I would come for him.

"When I denied that that was my interest, he dropped me two floors. He stopped me and hung me there for several moments before he brought me back up. Again, he asked me if I planned to tell him; I denied it." My breath caught in my throat.

The Joker turned on his side, holding me close to him. I laid my head on his chest, shuddering as the memory replayed.

"He asked me so many times. I denied it every time. He dropped me with unpredictable numbers of floors. He hung me there for a few moments and then raised me, only to drop me again. I was so…_terrified_. At some point, I was so scared that I couldn't talk. He tried to make me talk, but I was paralyzed.

"It was torture, the drop, the stop, the hanging, the rising, and the next drop. I don't know how long it went on. When he finally brought me up the last time, I managed to pull out my gun and shot him in the chest. He was the only thin keeping me from falling.

"With him down, I dropped all the way down." Tears suddenly chocked me, and I clung to the Joker's jacket, wanting nothing more than comfort.

The Joker kissed my forehead. "Ah…all these terrible things that we have to deal with; it proves we are survivors."

I sniffed. "You're actually talking sense?" I was surprised enough to look up at him.

He had an insulted expression on his face. "I tend to do that every once in awhile, _thank you_." He was insulted. "You owe me big time for that insult."

"All right, I agree. You decide how, and I decide when."

The Joker sounded disappointed when he said, "Fine."

Suddenly, my stomach growled loudly.

"The tiger's hungry," the Joker giggled. I poked him hard in the ribs. "How 'bout I make you lunch?"

"You know how to cook?" I asked, surprised.

"My mother made sure I knew how to care for myself. I just never bothered to do that."

"Until I returned."

"Sure, ah, why not?" The Joker released me and jumped off the bed. He stopped in the doorway and faced me. "Don't come into the kitchen until I call you," he ordered, and then he was gone.

I shook my head and got off the bed. Having stayed in the hospital for three days, I had developed its smell. I grabbed some clean clothes and other necessities before moving into the bathroom.

I took my time, scrubbing myself clean and washing my hair with care. My head was sore, probably from the hit on the water's surface, but then my hair was really dirty.

Even when I was done with that, I simply stood there, letting the hot water wash over me. It helped myself to relax, easing my sore muscles. There was almost nothing a hot shower couldn't do.

Finally, I shut off the water and toweled off, dressing into my waiting clean clothes. I combed out my hair and then decided to let it air dry. Showing its natural curl wouldn't hurt, not like it was as curly as the Joker's, but it was enough.

As soon as I exited the bathroom, I could smell what the Joker was cooking. It made my mouth water. So we were going to have a brunch; that was fine with me. This was the Joker's way of showing his appreciation and his love. I liked it.

"Hey! I said I'd call you!"

I laughed, closing my eyes and retreating. "It was too tempting," I called to him.

"Doesn't, ah, matter." I opened my eyes to see him standing in the doorway, holding the plates in his hands. "Move," he said," and I stepped to the side so then he could bounce to the table. The Joker was a natural bouncer; I wasn't worried about him dropping the food.

Once he had the food on the small table, he bounced to a chair, pulled it out, and waited for me.

"Is there a _gentleman_ hidden under all that makeup?" I asked, teasingly as I sat down.

The Joker bend down and kissed my cheek. "If I went out in public like this, _no one_, but you, would, ah, be able to recognize me." He skipped to his chair and sat down, waiting for me to begin.

I sniffed the good-looking food. It was sausages, eggs, and pancakes with syrup. "Are you sure you're not poisoning me, or drugging with sleep pills?" I asked.

"Just eat it." He said it neutrally, but the grin on his face told me which side he was on.

I took a little bite of each thing, the egg, the sausage, and the pancake. Dang…imagine that, the Joker was a great cook…or he put something in it that would kill my tastebuds. Of course, Heath wouldn't do that to me.

It wasn't an awkward meal, despite the fact that we didn't talk. Every time I looked up, the Joker was watching me, and it was difficult to tell if he was chewing food or the inside of his cheek. He seemed to switch off between, like he was making a guessing game for me. Nonetheless, he ate his food.

When I had finished – I'm guessing a few moments after the Joker – I pushed the plate forward. My eyes locked with the Joker's, and we fell into a staring contest without even meaning to. He licked his lips and cocked his head to the side.

I cracked a smile; he may refer to himself as a dog, but he sure if naturally acting like one.

The Joker couldn't sit still. He started bouncing his leg.

I sat completely still, wishing I could have crossed my arms before we started.

The Joker was obviously losing his little contest. He looked like a hyper kid, wanting to get up and move. I could almost see the energy radiating off his lean frame.

When he shifted for the fifth time in a minute, I raised an eyebrow at him. "Do we have ants in our pants?"

"No," the Joker answered, firmly. He licked his lips as his eyes narrowed.

"Then what's wrong? Is sitting still such a challenge for the almighty Joker?"

"Get rid of the 'almighty' part, and I'd say 'yes'." He was being honest.

"The Joker can't sit still…that's an interesting thought." I smiled. "You should see yourself when you're asleep. It's like you're dead, like you've been stoned."

"You know me, ah, better than that," the Joker said. He shifted again, sliding his tongue over his lips. "Drugs, achohol…they're not fun."

"Have you tried any of them?"

"A bit of each. I like to keep my head straight, ah, rather than have it spinning."

"I always thought that drunks were brainless," I said. "They think it's fun barfing in the toilet all night and then dealing with a hangover in the morning."

The Joker burst out laughing. "Prejudice against drunks?"

"I guess that's what it's called."

"No wonder you hate my guys."

"Did you just say 'guys'?"

The Joker shrugged. "Yeah."

"You're reverting to your teenage self."

"Why not? Those teen years were only a decade ago."

"Long time, it seems."

The Joker looked really edgy from where I was sitting. Finally, to end his torment, I stood up and walked over to my stereo. It had been awhile since I listened to any of the CDs so I didn't know what we'd listen to. I turned the power on and pressed play. The moment the song started, I felt someone touch my waist.

I jumped.

The Joker laughed as he pulled me into him, sidestepping into a sway. I listened to the music as we swayed, pinpointing what the name was.

"_If Everyone Cared_ by Nickelback," I whispered.

"I know," the Joker responded. He turned me around, placed my arms around his neck, and then wrapped his around my waist. We danced a simply swaying dance, just looking into one another's eyes for several moments.

The mood reminded me of the times Heath had tired to teach me how to dance. He had come to believe I had two left feet.

"Years ago, you had two left feet," the Joker said, "I mean, ah, what _happened_? Did, did you take dance lessons?"

"No, I became a criminal, remember?"

"Criminals _are_ professional dancers," the Joker agreed. "They just dance more _vicious_ dances."

"Ones that turn out more _fun_, depending on who's dancing."

The Joker laughed as he reached over to push the 'next' button. As he retreated, he grabbed the remote and slid it into his pocket. The song _Rock Your Body_ by Justin Timberlake started, and the Joker mouthed the words to the song. I was surprised that he knew it.

The Joker spun me around and set the speed of our dance, following the music beat.

"You have a bunch of talents I didn't know you hat," I told him. "I'm rather surprised."

"We can test them, including _yours_. I, ah, want to know what you're capable of." The Joker spun me out again, and I grinned at him. It was the only warning I was going to give him.

* * *

**Joker: What the _heck_ are you hinting at, Lordlink13?**

**Lordlink13: You'll see in the next chapter.**

**Joker: No tell me! Shadow's driving me nuts.**

**Shadow: You already were.**

**Joker: *pops open a knife***

**Lordlink13: Be nice, Joker. Something is going to happen in the next chapter, and it's going to ultimately prove something else.**

**Joker: *worried* Am I going to die in the next chapter? *sees Lordlink13 and Shadow exchange grins* Ah, can I please, ah, not?!**

**Lordlink13: Don't worry about it, Joker.**

**Joker: I'm worried, ah, nonetheless. After all these reviews with your readers telling you not to kill off me or Shadow...and I _just_, ah, reached the tally of seven! Have mercy!**

**Lordlink13: Beg, puppy dog!**

**Joker: *gets down on his knees* _Please!_**

**Lordlink13: All right, I gonna change chapter 23. I'll agree with** Sinario**; the Joker's getting too soft if he's actually begging to live. He's not supposed to care whether he dies or not.**

**Shadow: Review, people!**

**Joker: Only change chapter 23 if I'm going to die in it! I've a lot more _fun_ to have!**

**Lordlink13: You'll leave Shadow behind to cause trouble.**

**Joker: It's not the _same..._**

**Lordlink13: Don't start crying or I won't change the fact that you're gonna die.**

**Joker: I'm gonna die? It's true then.**

**Lordlink13: We've proven this in the last chapter. I'm a liar.**

**Joker: But you could be telling the truth too!**

**Lordlink13: *shrugs* Wait until chapter 23 to come around.**

**Joker: No...**

**Shadow: Reviews!!! Need reviews on the situation we have here! Lordlink13's mind seems to be bend on killing the Joker, despite how** midnighthorrors**,** LaughingAngelsGibberish**, and** Scarecrow'sGotMyHeart1 **have told her not to kill the Joker! Save him!**

**

* * *

****Shadow: *starts giggling***

**Joker: Why are you laughing? I'm gonna die in the next chapter.**

**Shadow: You're a wimp, you know that.**

**Joker: Am not!**

**Shadow: You're completely overreacting to this. You'll be fine.**

**Joker: Not when you're as good a liar as Lordlink13.**

**Shadow: You haven't been paying much attention, have you? I'm an honest person.**

**Joker: That doesn't, ah, help me.**

**Shadow: Just relax and wait for Lordlink13 to upload chapter 23.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Joker: I've...been...insulted...I'm...gonna...kill...**

**Shadow: What is this? *holds up his sharpened knives* What are you going to do?**

**Joker: *takes all the knives and slips them into his pocket, clicks open a switchblade* I have business to deal with.**

**Shadow: *looks at computer screen, reading the reviews* Oh dear... *looks over shoulder to see Joker leave the room* No! Mistah J come back! *runs after him*  
**

* * *

The Joker gave me a light tug on my arm to spin me back. I obeyed, but came and wrapped my free arm around his neck. I lifted my leg, rubbing it against his thigh.

So immodest an action, yet it paralyzed him, and I found it funny.

I laughed as I dropped my leg, grabbing his jacket with both hands and pulling the Joker toward me. The Joker was speechless, unable to do anything. _This_ was my comeback for tickling me.

I wasn't gentle when I threw him against the nearest wall. The collision seemed to dazzle him, giving me time to trap him. I took my stereo remote from his pocket and tossed it across the room; I didn't want it damaged. Gripping the Joker's tie, I pulled his face toward mine, kissing his scarred mouth.

Electrifying energy pulsed through me as my lips moved with his. I was twenty-four and love was still a mystery to me. I didn't care if it was the Joker I was in love with; it just simply didn't matter.

The Joker finally caught up with my emotions. He released my hold on his tie, and he grabbed me by the waist. His passionate kiss dazzled me, giving him the chance to steal my advantage. He pulled me over to the couch, making me lay down. The Joker pressed me into the cushions, his lips still pressed to mine.

I reached up, gripping his vest and pulling him toward me. The lightning energy was wonderful; it made me feel good.

The Joker shrugged off his purple jacket as I began to unbutton his vest. His roaming hands were distracting, but I managed to get his vest off. He pressed his lips to mine again as he reached for my shirt. How lucky he was that I had decided to wear a button shirt!

He finished unbuttoning my shirt seconds before I did his. Both shirts fell onto the floor with his jacket and vest.

The Joker grabbed my belt, but then stopped as my cell rang in the next room. He growled with frustration; he knew that I would want to listen to it.

I turned my head, listening. I had set it so then it acted like a house phone; it was its own answering machine. Laying there without a shirt and the Joker hovering over me, I didn't move.

My cell clicked, and someone's voice spoke. It was Gordon.

The Joker leaned down and kissed my neck as if he was hoping that would bring me back to the energizing moment we were having before my cell rang. I let him do what he wanted, paying attention to Gordon's message.

It was a simple one. He was asking how I was and if I had time to swing by the MCU. The sparking energy still resided in me, but I was willing to fall into its river…until Gordon said he was parked outside if I wanted a ride.

The Joker pushed himself up violently and swore. "He still suspects you," he growled.

"I'm not surprised." I moved to push him off, but his sharp glare told me to stay put. "Look, he can probably hear the music, and if I don't call him back, he'll come in and be even more suspicious."

"You're _not_ going." The Joker was angry. No one messed with him when he was angry, _especially_ when he was going to mess with his girl…except me.

"Pure logic, Heath," I said. "The mood's ruined anyway."

"That's _not_ what, ah, I was talking about." He moved to get off, but I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Stay, Heath," I told him. Then, I shadowed us to the bedroom, and I grabbed the cell from the nightstand.

"I called Gordon back. "Hi, Gordon," I said.

"_Hello, Jane."_

"Look, I'm sorry, but I have a friend over."

"_Is this the friend who needed treatment?"_

"Same one. He's better now."

"_That's good. Well, what time do you think you'll be free?"_

"Um…" I thought for a bit. "Tomorrow night, possibly."

"_Could you call me to make sure?"_

"That wouldn't be a problem." I watched as the Joker rolled off the bed, moving toward the window. "Thanks for checking in, Gordon."

"_Don't worry about it. Tomorrow night then."_

"Yeah, tomorrow night." He hung up.

I closed my cell and looked over at the Joker who was staring intently out the window. "C'mon, if you stand by the window, he might see you." I shivered, feeling the energy reawakening as the sight of the Joker's bare muscular chest.

The Joker cocked his head to the side, curiously; he had turned around in time to see me shiver.

I didn't give him an explanation but merely smiled at him and outstretched my arms.

The Joker let out a yelp of excitement as he bounced to the bed. I laughed as he bounced into my arms, knocking me over onto my back.

The puppy's tail was wagging close to a hundred miles per hour. Why? Because he finally caught his shadow.

* * *

I jerked to awareness at the sudden touch. The Joker gently caressed my cheek, shushing me softly to calm me. He was kneeling by my side of the bed; he was fully dressed in his signature suit.

"Get dressed, ah, I wanna show you something."

I didn't argue with him. He handed me my clothing, and I quickly dressed, not bothered by the fact that he was in the room. The Joker came forward and took my head.

"Shadow to my apartment room," he said, "Then, ah, shut your eyes." I obeyed, shadowing us to his apartment. With my eyes closed, I heard him rumbling about the room for a few minutes, and then, I felt him clap his hands over my eyes.

"All right, ah, just follow my lead." I waited for his push before I started walking.

"What is this?" I asked, curiously.

"Ah surprise." He turned me ninety degrees and forced me forward. I pictured the apartment in my mind, finding that we were headed for the stairs. "Slow, Shadow, we've reached, ah, the stairs."

"We're going down all the way?" I didn't know if his building had a cellar; I know mine did.

The Joker giggled. "Of course, ah, secrets are usually down, _down_ below where no one can witness them."

How he said it made me curious and a bit scared. I tried to get him to tell me, but he only giggled and answered, "You'll see, Shadow, you'll see."

We reached the main floor, and since I didn't know where his basement was, I followed his light pushes. He was incredibly bouncy, his steps light and excited. I would have bounced with him in his skipwalk, but I couldn't see where I was going.

He turned me and whispered, "The first step is, ah, right in front of you." The Joker was losing his bounciness as we started down the stairs. Maybe he was afraid he's make me fall or something.

Suddenly, there was a drop, and I let out a scream.

The Joker quickly grabbed me about the waist and pulled me back. He was laughing. "I apologize, Shadow. I, ah, forgot that there was a missing step."

"Jerk," I said, and he giggled. Without asking my permission, the Joker picked me up bridal style and hopped over the missing step. So small of a drop, yet it scared me. I pressed my face into his shoulder, hugging his neck tightly as he bounced down the stairs.

"This, ah, can't scare you, can it?" the Joker asked me once we came to the landing.

"I wasn't prepared for that, Joker."

"You're not happy."

"No, I'm scared."

He set me down as he responded, "You won't, ah, be scared for much longer. We've almost reached it." The Joker covered my eyes and led me again.

"There aren't missing parts of the floor?" I asked.

"Of course not," he answered, giggling. "It was just that nasty step. And…here we _are_. Don't open your eyes yet."

"Why?"

"I need to, ah, warn you. If I'm correct, you'll be raving_ mad_, ah, when you see it."

"It's not a happy thing?"

"It _could_ be, but it really is up to you. It's a harmless pup who tried to obey the dog's orders, but didn't, ah, _hear_ the very last one."

I was confused. Why was he talking in riddles? The Riddler did that, not the Joker…unless he was referring to himself. The dog must be him, but what was the harmless pup?

"I can, ah, almost feel your mind turning its wheels," the Joker laughed. "Believe me, I'm positive about your reaction once you see it."

"And what if you're wrong?"

"I've been, ah, wrong before."

I shifted my weight. "All right, I'm ready," I told him.

"Ah ta ta…not yet." He snapped his fingers, which surprised me because he was wearing gloves yet you could hear the snap, and he said, "_Now_, Shadow, you can look."

The Joker removed his hands, and I opened my eyes.

The harmless pup sat with his back to a pole. He was tied to it. His eyes were covered with a blindfold, and there was tape over his mouth. The pup had been stripped down to his boxers, and he was covered with bruises. Dried blood came from his nose. I was surprised that I recognized him.

The harmless pup who didn't obey the last order was: Bob.

My first reaction was shock. I only saw a beaten and trapped man at first so I was surprised.

But the shock didn't last long. Once I recognized Bob, I became angry. This was the man who had dropped me!

"Ahhh…Shadow's not very happy," the Joker giggled. He had seen me tighten, my hands clenched. Gently, but firmly, he placed his hands on my shoulders to hold me back.

Not like I needed the hold back right then, but the Joker had the right idea.

"I want to, ah, ask you something, Shadow," the Joker said.

"Go ahead," I said, my tone neutral. I was simmering with anger.

"Who's fault was it that you had to face your fear?"

"…You."

"Who forced you to wear that paint?"

"You."

"Who ordered for you to drop?"

"You."

"Who didn't realize that you weren't acting?"

"You."

"Who asked for his man to _wait_-." He said that last word loudly, and Bob flinched. "-At the last second?"

"You."

"And who dropped you?"

"_Him_." Bob started shaking.

The Joker pressed his lips to my neck. "And who are you putting the full blame on?" Behind me, the Joker stiffened, like he thought I was going to blame him.

"Him," I answered, pointing at Bob. Bob started crying, and I felt the Joker's scars move against my skin as he smiled. I felt something cold and slightly heavy being placed in my hand.

The Joker kissed my neck again and then released me, bounding over to his tied man. I watched him as he bent down by Bob, balancing on the balls of his feet. "I _told_ you, Bob. I wasn't going to, ah, be the one to decide your fate in the end."

"Get out of the way, Joker," I growled. I didn't need to look to find that I had a gun in my hand, _my_ gun. The Joker must have grabbed it from underneath my mattress.

The Joker glanced over his shoulder.

"Away," I told him, "You've had your fun. Now _move_."

He wasn't moving. I turned the gun on him, hoping he'd move. "You wouldn't, Shadow," the Joker said.

"Oh _really_?" I moved the gun and fired.

The Joker yelped, clenching his left leg. He toppled over and rolled away, laying on the ground.

"You'll survive," I told him, harshly. "_Move_ next time." I looked over at Bob who was trembling madly. He had thought the gunshot was for him. "Oh, poor Bob…are you afraid?" I cocked my head to the side, narrowing my eyes, and then I moved forward.

I bent down by Bob without trying to imitate the Joker. A smile crept onto my face as I ripped off the tape to reveal where the Joker had cut a bit into the corner of his mouth. Bob whimpered as drips of flesh blood came from the mouth wound.

"Scared now?" I asked him. "Be honest, who are you _more_ afraid of: me or your boss?" Bob didn't answer. I slid my gun up his neck, pressing the barrel to the base of his head. "C'mon, Bob, I'm _curious_." I grinned. "Oh, you know the little trick. If you say your boss is scarier, I'll kill you. If you say I'm scarier, your boss will kill you. _But_…if you don't say anything, I'll give you a slow _painful_ death."

Bob mumbled something I couldn't hear.

"Speak _up_, Bob. I can't understand you when you mumble."

"You're…equal," he said.

"Ah, not an answer, Bobby." I shook my head. Why did I come up with a nickname for him when I was going to kill him? "It's one or the other…does it depress you to know that either way, you _will_ die?"

Bob was beginning to sweat.

"Let me ask you another question, Bobby. _Did_ you hear the Joker's very last order?"

"N-No, he said it too quietly."

"He couldn't have since I heard it clearly." I tapped the base of his skull with the gun, and he stiffened. "What is your worst fear, Bobby? I'll share mine, and you can tell me yours. I'm _terrified_ of hanging over water. Looking at the water below paralyzes me so then I can't _do_ anything to save myself. Now, your good ol' boss didn't know I had this kind of fear. Quite unfortunate for you since he _did_ order you to wait at the last second."

I tapped his head again. "Nonetheless, I didn't like you from the start, and I've always liked the Joker's company. So, I'm willing to take the blame and put it all on you." I cleared my throat. "So, ah, what is _your_ worst fear, Bob? Maybe if you confess to everything, I _might_ give you a quick death."

"I _hate_ you," he said.

"Such a strong word," I remarked, "I didn't think you had the guts to say that to me. Go on; don't hold your feelings in."

Bob didn't have chance.

The Joker came up behind me and jerked me back. He knocked me down on the ground, sitting on my chest. He didn't look happy.

"Would you _mind_?" I demanded.

"Oh, I didn't _mean_ to get _jealous_," the Joker said, sarcastically.

"You had your fun. Now it's my turn."

"Fun?" My scowl vanished. The Joker licked his lips. "What's fun, in your opinion? Being the one shooting or the one getting shot?"

"I _told_ you to move."

"Nonetheless, I want to know."

"The one shooting. Besides, we have to establish a relationship where we can be willing to hurt one another." I smiled. "It's all part of the plan."

The Joker looked at me for a few seconds, playing with his lower lip. Then, a grin appeared on his face. "You, ah, had this _planned_ for some time?"

"Only since I shoot you."

He looked at his leg, which was dripping blood onto the floor beside me. The Joker seemed completely unbothered by the wound. "You know, ah, if you're going to shoot me, you need to, ah, get more on target. You hit the side, not, ah, straight on."

"I wasn't _trying_ to blow your leg off," I told him. "Now may I please get back to poor Bobby over there?"

The Joker looked over at Bob, who was breaking a sweat and shaking so much that it looked like he was going to have a seizure. The Joker found this amusing. "Poor _Bobby_," he giggling, taking up my nickname for him, "Thought we had, ah, _forgotten_ about him." He bounced off him, grunting as he bounced on his wounded leg. "Go ahead, Shadow. I'm curious as to what you, ah, think is considered _fun_."

* * *

**Shadow: Lordlink13! Lordlink13! Stop Mistah J!**

**Lordlink13: You stop him. I'm busy.**

**Shadow: Drop chapter 25 for a few seconds and help me protect one of your readers!**

**Lordlink13: *rolls eyes* Did someone insult him?**

**Shadow: YES!!**

**Lordlink13: *looks at reviews, eyes widen, and then runs out of the room to tackle the Joker who had just managed to slip out of Shadow's grasp* DOWN, JOKER!!**

**Shadow: What are we going to do?**

**Lordlink13: Why don't you warn the reader who was _so_ bold enough to insult the Joker in the first place that the Joker's coming after him? I can't hold him for long! *fights the Joker***

**Shadow: *shakes head* Yes, **Sinario**, that paragraph of yours was taken the wrong way. YES, I'm warning _you_ that you just insulted Mistah J so you better apologize to him. Lordlink13 _is_ planning on hardening him within a few chapters...not in the next one though...in chapter 25 though, yeah!  
**

**Lordlink13: Crap! *Joker slips away* Shadow, go get him! *Shadow disappears* **Sinario**, I can actually agree with the 'stick of butter' piece. He slipped away too easily. **Midnighthorrors**, I'm missing the ol' Joker too, the one who doesn't get so upset over such an insult. I didn't think it was an insult, but then, he's rather emotionally in these last chapters. If I don't want him being like this, I gonna start 'cooking' him. Can't let the egg crack, can we, **Sinario**? And who else is there who made a comment that I liked? **Scarecrow'sGotMyHeart1**, you have got to be the _best_ person in the world. I was really having a bad day after I put up chapter 22, and the begging and calling me of 'great Lordlink13' was actually pretty funny. For the time being, I'll hold back on killing the Joker, **JimandSteve**.** **Besides, who thinks it would be miserable for the funny mad-dog to die emotional?! That would totally kill his character...then again, Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger wouldn't actually _want_ the Joker to breakdown like this...just a warning. One more breakdown...a _major_ breakdown for the Joker in the next chapter and then I'll avoid it. We need the old Joker back...and I gonna get my mind set in the psychopath's mind to come up with ideas for him to kill people. I don't like repeating things. Don't forget those reviews! - And **Sinario**, I'm _serious_. Hide somewhere and hope that Shadow gets to you before the Joker does! Look in the other chapters to find her code number and call her to tell her your address. Hope that the Joker didn't think to check first; hope he was mad enough that he didn't remember he doesn't know your address! - Geez, long enough paragraph?**


	24. Chapter 24

I rolled onto my stomach and climbed to my feet. Resetting my grip on the gun, I turned to face poor Bobby.

"I'm curious-_ah_, Bob," I said, imitating the Joker. "What do you, ah, know about me and your boss?"

"What?!"

I pulled the trigger, shooting a bullet off to the side. Bob flinched and whimpered. "Don't act like you didn't hear me, Bobby. You know what I asked so _answer it_. And be honest."

Bob shifted, or tried to. The Joker had tied him well. "All I know is that the boss has a thing for you."

"Really?" His foot twitched, and I fired again, this time on the other side of the man. "You know more than that. Keep talking if you want to prolong your life."

"What else _is_ there to say?" Bob demanded. He was getting a bit braver.

"I don't know. That's what I'm asking _you_!"

Bob flinched at the sharp tone. When he didn't say anything, I fired another shot close to his head. He yelped, and behind me, the Joker giggled. It sounded like he was trying to cover his mouth though.

"I know you're like him."

"Not exactly, Bobby, but close enough. Go on."

"Your real name is Sara."

My eyes narrowed. "How do you know?"

"Heard the boss say your name."

"You've eavesdropped."

"Anyone would wonder what his boss does with a strange woman in his room, especially when he had gone over to _her_ apartment, and you haven't seen him go into _his_ apartment with the woman."

My hand held the gun so tightly that my knuckles had turned white. "Are you the only one who knows?"

"Yes, that is definitely a yes." He was becoming too brave for my liking; I fired a gunshot on the other side of his head.

"So what is your conclusion about me and your boss?"

Bob hesitated. "Obviously you two can't stay away from one another long enough to realize how much of a rollercoaster ride your relationship will be."

The Joker – who had been giggling quietly up to this point – had suddenly gone silent. Had I been laughing, I would have gone quiet too.

I shifted the gun to my other hand. "Do you think of yourself as a _criminal relationship_ expert? Bob, you know too much," I said, checking how many bullets I had left. I had six, the lucky number of six. "Let me ask you one more question, Bob. How many bullets does it take to kill a man?"

"One." Bob started trembling again; he knew what was coming.

"Let me rephrase that. Before the _one_, how many times can a man get shot before that _one_?" I cocked the gun, waiting for Bob's answer. He didn't reply. "Well, Bobby, since neither of us know the answer, let us find out.

I loosed four bullets, each with a ten-second interval in-between. Bob cried out in pain as I shot his shins and shoulders, dead-on. "How are you, Bob?" I laughed. "Still awake? Still alive? Hoping you'll bleed to death quickly?" I shot him in the gut. "That's five bullets, Bob, and I am a hundred percent positive that the next one will be _the one_." I cocked the gun, ready to shoot. "Any last words to this cruel world?"

"You b-!"

"No foul language! Time's up!" I shot him in the head. "Takes _six_ bullets, Bob. Of course, it turns out that only I learned that."

I heard someone clapping, and I glanced over my shoulder. "I know you enjoyed that, Joker."

"Still upset with me?"

"What made it so obvious?"

"You called me 'Joker'."

"Sorry, Mister J."

"No 'Mist_-ah_ J'?"

"Not now." I stood staring at the mutilated corpse. "Honestly, I would have thought I'd be so happy to have killed him. Now I feel like I'm missing someone."

The Joker wrapped his arms around my waist. He spoke near my ear. "You get used to it."

"This is a rather personal question. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but…how did you feel the first time you killed someone?"

"That is, ah, quite a personal question. Let me think." He pressed his lips to my neck as he _thought_. "Hm…I believe it was my first boss who I killed. Brutal man…he deserved it."

"Your _first_ boss."

"Seventeen years ago, only one scar – from my father – I had already, ah, proven I was a natural criminal." He nuzzled my neck. I lifted a hand to touch his painted face. "Didn't you know, Shadow, that every criminal has one higher than themselves that they learn from?"

"Did you learn from your boss?"

"No, not really. I, ah, keep all the credit to myself." He slid a hand into my hair, turning my head.

"Wait a second." The Joker stopped and looked at me. "Are you mad at me?"

"For what?"

"Answering my phone for Gordon?"

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a flicker of anger cross his face, and his hand on my waist tightened slightly.

"No."

"You are."

"I'm not."

"But you are."

The Joker grabbed me and shoved me up against a wall. He placed one arm over my throat, applying pressure so then I couldn't speak, only breathe.

"I don't know how you do it," the Joker growled, "But you always seem to know how to set me off, _like a bomb_." He licked his lips as he clicked open a switchblade. "You know how to do it, _just like her_."

"Who?" I gasped.

"Jeannie, my ex-wife."

I stared at him. He had been married? That was completely new to me.

"The story of my right scar." The Joker slid a finger over the scar on his right side. "You know how I don't have any records. When I found that out, I had decided to, ah, _keep_ it that way. Jeannie was a costume designer; that's how I met her, on a low-budget movie set."

The Joker caressed my cheek with the back of his hand to avoid hurting me with his knife. "Having one scar already, she avoided me at first. Everyone did." A strange expression crossed his face. I didn't know what it was. "The director of the movie asked me to go to her to cover the scar. It was how I managed to talk to her."

He paused to lick his lips. "Her main fault was gambling. I loved her nonetheless, and I was willing to get several jobs so then she could gamble. She wasn't bad at it so I didn't mind so much. _However_, being a good poker player tends to bring you powerful enemies.

"They took her home one night, acting as though they were only friends. They had gotten her drunk on the way home. I, ah, know something was wrong the moment she came in the door with five of them behind her." He licked his lips again, and I thought I saw pain flash in his eyes. "My one scar gave me a slight advantage, being that of, ah, surprise.

"It took four of them to stop me from getting to Jeannie. The last one decided to torment me by taking advantage of my drunk wife." The Joker's grip on his knife tightened, and his body was close enough to mine for me to feel him stiffen. He closed his eyes as he whispered, "I can still hear the echo of her screams…"

Opening his eyes, and sliding his tongue over his lips yet again, he continued, "For their revenge, they carved her face with knives, forcing me to watch. 'This will make you just like him,' they told her. They left with all of our money. Jeannie wouldn't let me look after her. She told me she was going to kill herself. I refused to let her near anything sharp.

"I finally decided to show her that I didn't care about the scars." The Joker put his switchblade near his mouth and mimicked slicing it open. "She looked at me with nothing but horror. All she said to me was 'I always told you to smile more'."

The Joker shook. "Believe me, Shadow. You don't _understand_ the pain I've gone through. I had _nothing_ to keep me from committing suicide. My face was scarred, I had lost my wife, no birth records, I was an unknown, a mystery."

I finally noticed tears in my eyes. The Joker looked straight at me, his body still with stiffiness.

"Scarred…lost…and _alone_," he whispered.

I knew what he meant.

"Alone, Shadow. Loneliness, depression is something I could never escape, not even with Jeannie." He shook his head. "I loved her, Shadow, but I didn't love her with all my heart. She only had a piece, a quarter…The rest was elsewhere….with you." The Joker's voice cracked, slipping into the husky sound. "My mind did not remember you, but my heart did. I knew that I would meet you again, but I didn't know."

"Please don't get emotional," I said, surprising myself. "Of course you didn't know. You didn't know if you'd see me from behind bars or not."

The Joker seemed startled that I had altered the mood so suddenly. Then, he looked thoughtful. "That's right, you, ah, wanted to become a lawyer or a detective when you grew up." He stepped away from me and then turned.

I came up behind him, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Do you need a moment?" I asked him.

The Joker, no, _Heath_ gripped my hands, holding onto them tightly. Then, he collapsed, taking me with him. Before he hurt himself, I shadowed us to my apartment, my room, my bed.

I didn't move as he turned his head to the side. His body was shaking, and I saw tears spilling from his eyes.

How often did the Joker, no, _Heath_ break down like this? I kept my hold on him, burying my face into the back of his neck. He was having a Heath moment, and it was a good thing I had shadowed us to my room rather than his.

Only a week and so much had happened.

* * *

It was midnight when my watch alarm went off. I emerged from the cloudiness of sleep when the Joker reached over to shut off the alarm. He managed it and then wrapped his arm back around me, kissing my bare shoulder.

I started laughing.

"What's, ah, so funny?" the Joker asked.

"Just think. I only resisted you for six days and then I let you catch me twice in one day." He laughed with me. "So much for a dog chasing cars."

"Ah, but I can prove that statement wrong," he said. "Even though I caught you, I still wasn't sure whether or not you would let me _officially_ catch you." I looked at him in time to see him lick his lips. "So I'm still not planning ahead."

I tried to prop myself up, but the Joker's hold on me tightened. "Is the dog not going to let go of his toy?" I asked.

"No," he giggled.

"You're playing tug of war."

"With whom?"

"Gotham…in general. Depends on the night though. Tomorrow night, you'll have to let me go though."

"The intreggation with, ah, Gordon." The Joker thought for a moment. "I suppose, ah, I could spare you tomorrow…if you come with me tonight."

"You have things set up, Mistah J?"

"Ah, she's in a good mood," the Joker teased, sliding his finger underneath my chin. "No, we're not going to blow things up. We'll do that after you've dealt with Gordon, which I hope, ah, you'll let me listen in on."

"Why?" I asked.

"I'm curious to, ah, know how my girlfriend Shadow can handle her situations. I know you, ah, personally as a normal person, but I don't know the criminal version of you. I'd like to see – or hear – how she handles things."

"I'll have you guessing," I told him. "My method's sorta of a mix of planned and emotions."

The Joker licked his lips. "I can't, ah, wait."

I playfully hit his bare chest. "All right, let me up. What are we doing tonight?"

"I was thinking of acting."

I cocked my head to the side, and he laughed.

"You're taking on my actions. No, ah, I'm serious about the acting. We're going to play a game of Stalin and the KGB."

"What? You're Stalin and I'm your secret police?"

The Joker nodded. "Any, ah, idea of what we will be doing? Remember history class? _So_ many years ago?"

I grinned. "I remember, of course."

The Joker released me, and once I moved, he bounced off the bed. "Do you need anything here?" he asked.

"Only my clothes," I told him as I rolled off the bed. I went to my dresser and put on some of my "work" clothes. When I turned around, the Joker was already dressed in his signature suit.

"It's like, ah, you're trying to pull off a Batman without all of his armor, and, ah, gadgets," the Joker remarked.

"I'm gonna ignore that," I told him as I went over to my desk. I bent down as I opened the top most drawer and felt for a keypad. Pushing three of the buttons, a click sounded.

"A secret, ah, compartment?" the Joker asked, bouncing over to see.

"I don't want you getting into it unless it's absolutely necessary," I told him. A drawer shot out, revealing a group of guns and knives along with ammo. I picked up a pocketknife with a purple handle. It had the intials _H.J.L._ "I think this belongs to you, Mistah J," I said, holding it over my head.

He took it and examined it while I reloaded my gun. "I always, ah, wondered where this beauty went."

"It's a handy knife. I used it on anyone who thought they had advantage over me." I clicked my gun to my belt, along with two others. As I strapped a few knives on my arms and legs, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned my head to see the Joker holding out the pocketknife.

"I'd rather, ah, you have it," he said. "It's another thing to remind you of me."

"Not like I'm leaving you again," I said, taking it and slipping it under my watch. "All right, I'm ready."

"Bring us back to the basement. After Bob, I, ah, don't want anyone else to think the _shadows_ are strange."

* * *

**Lordlink13: All right, **Sinaro**, Shadow's tracked down the Joker, and is keeping him away from you. However, she called me to tell you that she did not want to be your bosom buddy. Even though she doesn't show it, she's upset with you because of what you said to the Joker.**

**Joker: *ticked off* Am I toughed up a bit for you, **Sinaro**?**

**Lordlink13: Calm down, Joker. **Sinaro** apologized many times over. Took up a whole paragraph with just the word 'sorry'. And** TheWeirdGirlFromDownTheRoad **- long enough name? cool too - I killed off the annoying Bob...I didn't like him either and I was planning on making him more annoying than that, but then I'd have to let him survive. _And_ I don't want you crying yet. The Joker's not dead yet.**

**Joker: _Yet?_ That's the keyword! Yet!**

**Lordlink13: Shut up, Mister J. Go sluck in a corner or something.**

**Joker: No, I want to go give **Sinaro** a piece of my _mind_. I'm not a huggy person!**

**Lordlink13: That's one thing I refuse to let you do. Where's Shadow?**

**Joker: Sleeping.**

**Lordlink13: Why? I need her over here.**

**Joker: *kicks at dust on floor* We got into a fight.**

**Lordlink13: *rolls eyes* Over **Sinaro** again?**

**Joker: No, over the tally of who likes who more. I've got to nine; she's still at two.**

**Lordlink13: Why'd she get mad?**

**Joker: *shrugs* Nobody knows what goes through that woman's head. *looks over Lordlink13's shoulder* 'Merciful Lordlink13'?** JimandSteve**, are you on crack?**

**Lordlink13: Be nice to my readers. **JimandSteve** picked up **Scarecrow'sGotMyHeart1**'s saying, just switching 'almighty' to 'merciful'. And again, thanks to both of you. Really cheers me up.**

**Joker: You're, ah, not in a good mood.**

**Lordlink13: _Where have you been?_**

**Joker: Tracking down **Sinaro**.**

**Lordlink13: Since this week started, I've been on the verse of crashing this story. I'm losing the feel for it 'cause I reached a difficult part. I hate my chapter 26 cause I didn't know what to do with it. It's called 'hopping around'. And the sun's been gone for two days. I'm really down at the moment...I have to work, probably should look at what I last wrote so then I can daydream while I work. Hey, just a question, none of you have to answer, but you can if you want to. Do any of you live in Massachuetts? Just a simple question.**

**Joker: Review this story, answer the question if you, ah, want, and **Sinaro**, you better watch your mouth or that spleen of yours...you'll wake up missing it one of these mornings.**


	25. Chapter 25

I shadowed us back to his basement, and then I followed the Joker upstairs. Reaching the second floor, the Joker turned down a hallway I've never been down, or maybe I had since this place was like a maze. The Joker stopped in front of a door and beckoned me closer.

"This is, ah, where I let my boys hang out," he said. "I don't know how much alcohol might be left."

"I'm not drinking," I told him.

"Neither am I." The Joker grinned. "KGB, Shadow, remember the KGB."

"And you remember Stalin."

He laughed as he opened the door. The smell of beer and smoke nearly overwhelmed me. I coughed once and then covered my nose and mouth, even though I knew that wouldn't do much.

It was a living room with a television set and several couches where eight guys sat, drinking and smoking. They were watching a football game, up until the Joker and I entered.

"Turn that off," the Joker ordered, and Ryan quickly moved to obey. As soon as he shut it off though, the Joker pulled a gun from my belt and shot him dead. His men jumped, and I merely flinched.

"We have, ah, some things to discuss, boys," the Joker said, taking on the act of the serious boss – or trying to. Killing Ryan seemed to have an immediate effect on him, like killing someone was the Joker's version of marijuana. As he motioned for me to go into the room, his body seemed to vibrate with a frenzy trembling.

I moved along the shadows of the room. His men were focused on him, and when I looked back at him, the most menacing smile appeared on the Joker's painted face. He had his eyes closed, and his head was slightly bowed. His gloved fingers were twitching, and his hunched shoulders were shaking. If it weren't for the Glasgow grin on his face, I would have thought he was crying.

Suddenly, the Joker's head jerked up, and his smile was gone. "Mark," he barked, and one of the men jumped to his feet. The Joker shot him down without any hesitation. "Conor," he said, lowering his voice to normal. "Where's, ah, Peter?"

"I-In his room, boss," a man answered. He started shaking as the Joker began flipping his gun around.

"Why so _scared_, Conor?" the Joker asked, approaching the man and placing his face close to Conor's. Conor flinched back, and then, he jerked forward as the Joker stabbed him in the gut with his switchblade. "Death comes quick, ah, only when you're brave enough to face it." He twisted the blade in Conor's gut, causing the man to grunt in pain. Only the alcohol could be saving him from feeling most of the pain.

The Joker looked up at me, a mad bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes. He grinned. "_Sick_ 'em," he giggled.

I reached for my two weapons and released fire. The Joker's men moved, jumping off the couches and heading for the door or windows. With rapid fire, I shot each of them down before they reached their destination. Conor was still alive to watch it all, and he finally looked up at the Joker.

"What did we do, boss?" he asked.

This simple question seemed to take the Joker off guard, but as twisted and as restless his mind might be, the Joker sure was cunning, a pure genius.

"Even heard of Stalin and his secret police?" The Joker held up his bloodied knife. "Think of it as, ah, _permanent _dismissal." He put the gun to Conor's head and shot him ending his torment.

The Joker stood there, hovering over the dead man, holding the gun and knife easily in his hands. His body shook, but it wasn't because he was affected negatively to the sudden death around him. He turned away from me when he asked, "Shadow, mind getting Peter in his room?"

"Which room is his?" I asked.

"Two doors down."

I shadowed out into the hallway and knocked on the door at the very end. "Peter, the boss wants to see you."

The man opened the door right away. He looked at me hard and asked, "Was it him doing all the shooting?"

"No, he put in three bullets."

"What does the boss want?"

I glared at him.

"All right." Peter shoved his way past me. Angered, I shadowed in front of him, punching him in the nose before I shadowed back to the Joker.

The Joker sat on the couch, his arms resting on the back of it on either side of him. His left leg bounced at a rapid pace, and his right hand – which held his knife – twirled the blade with ease. Something about his expression made my eyebrow rise, but I didn't say anything.

Finally, Peter entered the door, not seeing me in the shadows. He looked around to see his dead mates on the ground where the Joker had shoved them off the couch. Peter didn't seem to be sickened by the sight – not like I was, but it did cause an involuntary shiver to run up my spine.

Peter finally met the Joker's gave without any sign of fear. "Yes, boss?"

"Peter, as you can, ah, see, I'm in need of new men."

"That depends which kind you want. Sane or insane?"

"The insane seem to work, ah, better. The sane…" The Joker glanced over at me. "Seem to be too _observant_." I nodded. "But then again," the Joker added, looking back at Peter. "Half-insane might be something to try."

"Something like you," I murmured. Peter didn't hear, but apparently, the Joker had heard; he grinned.

"When do you need them?"

"Before dawn."

Peter looked around. "You know I need another man."

"I have someone, ah, better than all the rest of them." The Joker motioned me forward, and I stepped out. I thought Peter would be surprised, but he wasn't. There was this blank gaze in his eyes. "Take her and make some, ah, friends, Peter."

At that point, I had to speak up. "You're not coming?"

The Joker looked at me, grinning. "Don't worry about it." Meaning…_no._ "Both of you go," the Joker said, motioning us to leave. I glared at him as I followed Peter out of the room; the Joker simply ignored me.

Peter was a case. I didn't know if he was ignoring me on purpose or if he just didn't remember I was there. Following behind him wasn't working so I moved to walk beside him, wondering what he would do.

He picked up his pace. That proved it; he was ignoring me, and I knew that I didn't like it.

Before we reached the stairs, I grabbed his shirt collar and slammed him against the wall. I met his startled gaze. "I wanna make something clear, quiet boy," I said. "I don't like how this is set up either."

"That's not my problem," he said. _Wow_, make _me_ look like the idiot.

"What _is_ your problem then?" He shrugged. "You don't even know…" I shoved him against the wall again and then headed down the stairs. Behind me, Peter followed. As I headed for the front door, Peter grabbed my arm.

"Not that way," he told me as I glared at him. He released my arm and headed towards the back. Curiosity smothered my anger so I ran after him.

Walking outside, I stopped, my eyes widening. "A Volvo," I gasped, my considered dream car. It was silver, just like any other car in the world.

Peter went around to the driver's seat. I climbed into the passenger's, buckling up. Peter did the same. It made me wonder if he was a good driver or not.

He wasn't a lawbreaker, that's for sure. We drove at the speed limit, and when he passed police cars with their flashing lights, he got out of the way. The ride was completely uneventful. Eventually, we arrived at the casino.

Peter had poker in mind. I had never played the game before so I watched him for a bit, letting him explain it all to me. He helped me play it once, and he laughed when I lost the bet.

"You'll learn," he said.

"As if I want to."

"Why are you asking questions about the game then?"

"Curiosity."

"Hm." Peter steered me over to a corner table where there were five guys playing their own game of poker. Peter and I stood there, watching a game until one of the men looked up.

"Did ya get lost?" the guy asked, smoking a cigarette.

"Thought you had a good game going," Peter answered. "We didn't mean to interrupt."

"You wanna join?" one fellow asked. Two of the others glared at him.

"I don't think so, but my companion here would like to." He motioned me forward, and instantly, all the men relaxed, losing their hostility. "She has a sharp mind and eyes. She's a tough one."

"What's your name, gal?" a man asked.

"Susan," I replied.

"Cute name," another man complimented. "All right, deal out the cards, Dean." The fellow who had asked if Peter wanted to join dealt out the cards. I looked around; Peter was gone. "The name's Jonathan, Jon for short."

Another John, I wondered if he would last long.

"These are my pals Dean, James, rain, and Cory. We have a Shaun, but he's always late."

"I am not." A man had approached the table. "Well, well, who's _this_?" He had noticed that I was the only girl there.

"Susan," Jon answered. "She's playing with us tonight."

"Really?" Shaun took a seat next to me. "You a good player?"

"A modest player," I answered, calmly.

Shaun nodded. "Give me my cards, Dean. Let's have the lady go first."

"Let someone else start," I said, "I insist. It would give the rest of you more of a chance of winning."

The guys laughed. I was beginning to like this group. I wondered if Peter would choose them to be the Joker's new men; they had a good sense of humor.

As we played, the fellows joked and teased one another; they were a rather cheery group, something the Joker might like. It seemed like they knew one another for a good amount of time. They caught each other cheating constantly.

Out of all of them, I liked Dean the most. He had to be the best in the group because he won more games than the rest of them combined, which was saying quite a lot. Unlike the rest of them, he held some kind of innocence that helped hide his expression so then they never caught him when he was cheating. I only noticed because his foot would touch mine, and I would call him out. Dean was a cheerful guy, too naïve though.

Then, there was Shaun. Since he was sitting next to me, he had to work little to grope my leg, but instead of jabbing him with the Joker's pocketknife from years ago, I stomped on his foot, digging my heel in.

"Leave Susan alone, Shaun," Brian finally told him after a few grunts from the hurt man. "Susan, just tell him to leave you alone. He's a good boy when he's told off."

I turned to Shaun. "Shaun, it's your fault I haven't won a single game. You're distracting me, and I don't like you touching me. Lay off!" I looked up and put on the act of pondering. "Dean, will you switch with Shaun, please?"

"That's no problem," Dean said, cheerfully. From then on, I started winning games with Dean's subtle guidance.

As Dean dealt out the cards for the umpteenth time – I don't know how many games we had played – a newcomer arrived.

"You just starting?" he asked. I looked up at him with my fellow players, trying to see his face, but the brim of his hat shadowed his face. "Mind if I join you?" The stranger took a seat right across from me without waiting for permission.

Jon looked suspiciously at the stranger while Dean, the ever cheerful one, shuffled the cards, innocently giving his pals time to deal with the stranger.

"Go bother someone else," Jon said, "We have enough to play our own game."

"You don't like a new challenger every now and then?" the stranger asked.

Jon still gave him a calculating look, but he motioned for Dean to deal the cards. "What's your name, stranger?"

"Jack." The stranger responded, his voice turning husky. I knew exactly who it was.

My fellow players seemed to be uptight over the stranger, and I wanted him to see how easygoing they could be.

"You've been here before, Jack?" I asked.

His hat moved so he had lifted his head to look at me. He had sat himself in the darkest area so then no one could see his face. "So, ah, _curious_, aren't you, gal?"

My fellow players came to my defense by shifting closer to me and sending hostile looks in the stranger's direction.

"Don't worry, boys," I told them without looking away from him. "He's a good kid."

"But he-," Dean protested, being the one more attached to me.

"Is a friend," I finished. "I didn't recognize him at first, but I know him. Don't worry."

My boys – I've decided to call them – relaxed a bit, but still watched the stranger warily, Dean and Shaun in particular.

As we got into the game, I started to worry. What if the Joker didn't like this group of men? I had them on tight leashes, despite the fact that they were sitting obediently at my feet.

"Do you, ah, come here often?" the stranger asked.

"When I'm getting some business done," I said. "I came with another friend."

"You know, ah, I'm on business."

"What is your business?" Jon asked.

"Professional criminal. I'm looking for men to hire."

"Being straightforward?" I asked, startled. "No riddles." I grinned, seeing my boys look at one another.

"I'm not, ah, the Riddler, Susan." He had caught my name, or he had asked Peter.

"Then who are you?" Dean asked. He was clueless; my other boys were getting tight again. At this point, everyone had put down their cards, except "Jack".

He bent forward and put his cards down on the table. Among the five cards was a Joker card.

The boys shifted, but Jon and Dean remained still when I poked them with my weapons.

"I'm not, ah, _finished_ yet," the Joker said, dropping his husky voice. "I'm an easy guy to satisfy. I tend to be a winder, but, ah, I leave my men alone most of the time." The Joker licked his lips, leaning forward slightly to show some of the white on his chin. "Shadow here, ah, seems to have gotten your attention."

"Shadow?" Brian asked, surprised. "The one who dealt with the Riddler and Catwoman, putting them behind bars in the same night?"

"That's me," I said.

"You all seem to, ah, know too much already," the Joker murmured.

"Are they too _observant_ for you, Joker?" I demanded. "If so, just say the word. I'm not permanently attacked to any of them…except maybe this one." I lifted a gun to place it close to Dean's head. "He's a good kid."

I saw something like jealously flash across the Joker's face, and I grinned. "But, ah, I think if you say the word fast enough, I can still be rid of him as well."

"That won't, ah, be necessary." The Joker fidgeted. I finally noticed that he had kept himself still like everyone else. "How 'bout it, _boys_," the Joker asked. He picked up a poker chip. "It's good money. A benefit for both sides. Money for you, men for me. You'll be able to join in real poker games, rather than, ah, just play against one another." I looked up as a shadow approached behind the Joker, but it was only Peter.

"Do you need, ah, a few more games to decide?" the Joker asked. "More time with the Criminal Catcher?" He jerked his head in my direction.

"Y-Yeah, a few more games," Jon said, unsettled.

The Joker grinned as he stood up, straightening his jacket.

"You staying, Susan?" Dean asked, his face innocent. I looked at him hard. He didn't flinch. He had this kind of child innocence about him. Someone the Joker would enjoy trying to ruin.

"No, I'm done for tonight. You fellas enjoy." I got up and moved after the Joker. Peter distracted the casino owner while the Joker slipped into the back. I followed him.

"What the _hell_, Shadow?"

"Don't swear at me," I told him.

The Joker rubbed his face, backing off. "Damn, Shadow, what were you _thinking_?"

"You don't want them because they like me?" I demanded, "Or are you jealous of Dean?"

"Is _that_ the fellow's name?" The Joker licked his lips and then started pacing. He was trying not to focus his anger on me. "I just _can't_ see how you could have messed that up! Peter has _never_-!"

"It's not my fault," I told him. "Peter basically placed the burden on me." Then, I cowered away from him, to lean against the wall. "Why couldn't I have made friends that easily years ago?"

The Joker unleashed his anger on me. "Focus on the present, Shadow! Damn, if I ever hear you say something like that again-." He stopped and looked at me. His lean frame shook with fury, and the expression on his face frightened me. The hat he wore made him look more menacing.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from his. The anger in his eyes paralyzed me. I couldn't do anything when my legs gave way underneath me. As soon as I hit the floor, the Joker jumped forward, kicking me in the rips. I held in my cry of pain, only curling up into a ball.

The Joker stood over me, breathing heavily. His empty hands clenched and unclenched several times, but he stayed there, a dog waiting to finish off his wounded prey.

I didn't dare move. My eyes were glued to him, my heart pounding with fear, fearing what he would do if I moved.

Then, Peter came into the back, talking evenly as if he wasn't aware of the situation. "They've changed their minds, boss."

The Joker didn't respond for several seconds, one of his hands digging into his pocket for a knife. As soon as he had clicked one open, the Joker said, "Fine, set them up in the second apartment of ours. The people around there are getting, ah, _suspicious_." He licked his lips as he bent down next to me.

I shivered as he reached into his pocket again, this time pulling out a small object. The Joker pushed it into my ear. "For your _chat_ with Gordon," he said, plainly. Then, he stood up, straightening his jacket.

I watched him still afraid that he would do something unexpected. The Joker stared at me and then prodded my side with his foot. "You, ah, getting up anytime soon? I've got to take you home." I was too scared to move.

The Joker chewed on his lip, and then, he clicked his knife closed, shoving it in his pocket. He crouched beside me again, turning his head to look at me. "I think, ah, that this will be the last night we, ah, see one another for a time, Shadow."

"What?" I whispered.

"You've got to deal with Gordon; I've been slacking in my job. It would be, ah, a good time to separate until we set things straight again." He licked his lips and continued. "Who knows? If you, ah, are cunning enough to convince Gordon, he might let you on, and the next time you see me would be _behind bars_."

I finally closed my eyes. A headache had started up again. "All right," I said, "No contact until the next time we meet?"

The Joker nodded.

I slowly got to my feet with the Joker's help. When I looked into his eyes, there was a kind of distance between us. He kept a hold on me, even if it was merely holding my hand as we left the casino through the back door. The Volvo awaited us.

* * *

**Lordlink13: All right, there are some readers that I need to speak directly to. Welcome, **RexTR**, to the world of fanficion, where writers can use their favorite fiction characters in their own little stories. Hope you enjoy exporing the realms of fanfiction. And just a little note, don't call the Joker 'adorable' anywhere or at anytime. Sure, he's a touchy guy, but I promised some daring readers (a.k.a. **Sinario**) that I'd put him in a freezer (quoting from **Sinario**) to hard him up. **NiftyxSara**, until you come to visit me at my workplace (you know where and when) the possible gal pal for Shadow idea will be on hold. As for keyboarding, Boychild told me about the down Internet problem.** WolfxAngel**, yeah sure the wife thing is cliche, but if you hadn't noticed, I've been adding bits of the old Joker (comics, Batman television show) with bits of the movie (3 the _Dark Knight_). And **Sinario**, I'd appreciate it if you would stop being such a grammar nazi. It's not like this will be printed into an actual book (it's a good idea though). **TheWeirdGirlFromDownTheRoad**, I want to ask. What are the names of your ferrets? I love ferrets, but I could never have them in my house. Can I Cyber-nap one of them? **Scarecrow'sGotMyHeart1**, despite the fact that I can't hear your song, just the idea that you're singing for me makes me wanna cry.**

**Joker: Are you, ah, done talking yet?**

**Shadow: You're impatient.**

**Joker: *glares at her* As far as the readers know, I'm mad at you.**

**Shadow: *innocently* Why?**

**Joker: That _other_ good kid.**

**Lordlink13: Shadow, I need you to go Cyber-nap one of **TheWeirdGirlFromDownTheRoad**'s ferrets.**

**Joker: *stomps foot* No, she's staying right here.**

**Lordlink13: Stop acting like an upset child. Go, Shadow, or I'll-.**

**Shadow: Don't finish that threat. I'm going. *shadows away***

**Lordlink13: *looks at the Joker* Stop growling at me. I told you to go sulk in a corner.**

**Joker: That's not what you said in the last chapter. You said 'sluck'.**

**Lordlink13: You read **Sinario**'s nazi review, haven't you? Seems like you're a nazi in the grammar department as well.**

**Joker: ABSOLUTELY _NOT_!!!**

**Lordlink13: Then shut your mouth and go sulk. Where the heck was I?**

**Joker: Weren't you thinking of talking to your little _too happy_ readers who are giving you those _wonderful_ names.**

**Lordlink13: Since when did _you_ read my mind?**

**Joker: Since you let me.**

**Lordlink13: When was that?**

**Joker: *shrugs* No idea, I just didn't realize that I could read your mind until now. Oh, wait! *moves to run out of the room***

**Lordlink13: Where are you going?**

**Joker: I, ah, promised someone that he could come into the next chapter.**

**Lordlink13: What? Did I give you permission to bring one of your buddies?**

**Joker: Oh, but _this_ guy, you'll like. Actually, you already _love_ him. If it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't be here.**

**Lordlink13: Is it the original author of Batman?**

**Joker: You'll see. *runs out of room***

**Lordlink13: All right, then. I'm as clueless as the rest of you. Anyway, why the _heck_ did you start the name trend, **Scarecrow'sGotMyHeart1**? I have like four people giving me names. I've listed yours and **JimandSteve**. The new ones are by **Sinario **"All-Powerful Lordlink13" and **midnighthorrors **"oh wonderful, mighty, brilliant Lordlink13". Then, I got **NiftyxSara** - a friend - calling me "home skillet". funny, **NiftyxSara**, I named Shadow after you, if you haven't noticed. I'm curious as to what kind of names people can come up with before they start repeating others...no, actually I might regret that since there are so many adjectives in the world. Hey, I forget who it was...I think it might have been a mix of **Sinario**, **midnighthorrors**, and **LaughingAngelsGibberish**. The sun finally came out back in MA, but the unfortunate thing is that I have finals next week. It sucks. I'll keep working on this fanfiction; I'm up to chapter 28 so I'm not that stuck anymore. (**Sinario**, the advice was wonderful, thing was that I was already doing that stuff. I just had to keep hitting that darn wall until I cracked it. It's not broken, I'm still unsure of how this story's gonna go, but...I'm working on it. I might leave chapter 26 how it is, despite how fast it goes and how much I hate it cause it goes so fast. I'll upload it next time and give you guys a note on the top so then you guys can review and encourage me to redo it and make it go slower and explain more. Who knows? Chapter 26 might turn into another chapter 20 (don't remember that little story? It's the one where I took chapter 20, which went too fast the first time so I rewrote it and made it into almost two chapters total. Shadow mentioned it at the bottom of chapter 19, if you don't remember. yeah, the story about my two notebooks being blue and red, that one.)**

**Shadow: *holding a ferret* Don't forget to review, people. And **Sinario**, stop being such a nazi. I'd honestly would enjoy seeing you trying to hunt me down. Did you forget that I'm the one with the supernatural ability of _shadowing_? *holds up ferret* It's so cute.**

**Lordlink13: I wanna hold it.**

**Shadow: No, Lordlink13, I'm older so you can't unless I say so.**

**Lordlink13: For cryin' out loud! Review, people, always remember to review!  
**


	26. Chapter 26

**Lordlink13: Yeah, so sorry about the stressing out thing. My now-_second_ best friend came to my workplace and cheered me up. I'm not going into details, but I will say that I got all my projects and stuff all done the next day from the day I stressed out. Idk, it just hit me and I thought I was going to die. I just waited until now to upload these because I needed to spend time studying for Finals and to take time in typing this and the next chapter up. Like I promised, I have uploaded two chapters to make up for the week long break.**

* * *

The Joker splashed water on his face and rubbed. Through his narrowed eyes, he saw the water turn red, white, and black as his warpaint washed off. He accidentally rubbed too hard on his scars, and they tingled even as he splashed fresher water on his face and around his neck.

Refreshed, he patted his face with a dry towel and then moved to the window when he heard a car honk. Stepping to the side of the window, the Joker positioned himself so then he could see the front door of the apartment and the car that waited outside. He saw Shadow come out of the front, slinging a bag over her shoulder.

She flashed a smile at the car driver, and her mouth opened as she spoke. As she went around the car, Shadow glanced up at the Joker's window as if hoping he was standing there. For a second, the Joker felt that her eyes had met his, but that moment passed faster than he liked.

The Joker watched as she climbed into the passenger's seat. He had noticed that there were dark circles under her eyes; she evidently hadn't slept well last night.

As the car pulled away, the Joker slipped a small mike of a clip into his ear, hearing Gordon's voice asking Shadow how she was.

"_Tired,"_ Shadow answered. _"I didn't sleep well last night."_

The Joker collapsed onto his bed, feeling his own exhaustion. Like Shadow, he hadn't slept well last night, but it could have been for a different reason. His mind had raced at the thought that Shadow was going with Gordon. The Joker knew he'd get her out of jail if Gordon placed her behind bars, but…he still worried.

"_We can do this some other time, you know."_

"_I'm fine, Gordon. I won't be falling asleep during the interview, if that's what you're afraid of."_

A grin crept onto the Joker's scarred lips; Shadow had her own unique charm. It seemed like she wasn't aware of it either. Too bad it only seemed to work on people _older_ than her rather than people _her_ age…but then, there were his new henchmen who seemed to have fallen for Shadow's charm.

"_I was thinking that someone you knew would be in the room at the same time, to make you feel secure," _Gordon's voice said.

The Joker had missed Shadow's question, but by Gordon's answer, he could guess it. He shifted his position and laid there, listening to Shadow and Gordon talk about little matters that had nothing to do with the interview that Shadow was pressured into having.

As his exhaustion gradually spread from his mind to his body, his body reacted to it by aching. From years of this ache, the Joker had grown used to it.

His bruised hand and chest, and wounded legs ached the most. Reminded of Shadow and how dangerous she was…particularly when she was dealing with a headache, having anger issues, or simply playing the act.

"Heath, you old fool, you're slacking," the Joker whispered, closing his eyes.

The next time he glanced at the clock, it read nine thirty-two. Shadow had gone to her interview three hours or so ago. And by listening to the chip in his ear, it sounded like Shadow was still in her interview.

She seemed to be coming to a conclusion though, speaking of how she had come to Gotham City because she had been attracted to the criminal life there. He wondered if she was thinking of him.

The Joker bounced off the bed, despite how his body ached, not having woken up completely. He hurriedly put on his makeup, making his Glasgow smile messy as usual. Grabbing his purple jacket and leather gloves, the Joker ran out of his room, forcing his adrenaline to get a move on. He raced toward where his new men were hanging out.

They were playing poker, looking uneasy. Peter was talking to them, but he cut off when the Joker entered the room. All of them turned to look at him.

He motioned for them to continue as he moved over to the couch, grabbing the remote as he went. The Joker sat down and turned on the TV, merely to have his henchmen think he wasn't paying attention.

"As I was saying," Peter said, "The boss is a man of his word. You just have to hope his word isn't against you, like some unfortunate man."

The Joker switched to a different channel.

"What's he expect us to do?" a man asked.

"Shaun, weren't you _listening_?" another man demanded. "The boss expects us to _obey_ orders, nothing more. We're actually putting our lives on the line."

"Do we get to wear the clown masks?" an innocent-sounding voice asked, curiously. The Joker's lip curled at the voice. He recognized it as the Dean boy's. What did Shadow see in him?

"That's usually what the boss has you wear," Peter answered.

The Joker switched channels again as he heard someone scrap a chair on the floor. He caught Peter out of the corner of his eye as the man walked around the couch. "Boss, I haven't seen Shadow lately."

"On her own business," the Joker answered without looking at him. Something very familiar to him had returned…_depression_…what did it take to get rid of it? His answer had been to laugh at everything, and it had worked. Now…the Joker realized that he just needed to simply kill someone.

The Joker shut off the TV and then threw the remote at the screen. The resulting _crack_ caused Peter to jump, along with the new henchmen. "The volume buttons weren't working on that thing," the Joker said, getting to his feet. He straightened his jacket and turned to face his new henchmen. Might as well learn their names.

"I honestly don't, ah, care what your names are, but it's best that I know them anyway. Don't wanna insult _Lady_ Shadow."

Every man stiffened, excluding Dean and Peter. "I'm Jon," one man said, roughly, "And these are Shaun, Brian, James, Cory, and Dean."

"You're the, ah, leader of the group," the Joker mused. "Jon…you, ah, _willing_ to step down?"

"_I trust you, Jane."_ The Joker lifted a hand to his ear, pressing the earphone closer so he could hear. He turned ninety degrees away from the man Jon so then he could focus on what Shadow was going to say.

"_You really shouldn't, Gordon,"_ Shadow said, seriously. _"You shouldn't trust me, not even by a little."_

"_I can trust you to keep your word."_

"_If anything, that's the _only_ thing you can trust about me."_

What had happened? What were they talking about? Trust? For what? The Joker reached into his pocket as he lowered his hand and turned back to Jon.

"Yes, I am," Jon said.

A grin stretched over the Joker's face. "Good-ah." The Joker pulled out a gun and shot Jon in the chest. Blood burst from Jon's torso, and he gurgled, toppling off his chair. Ignoring him, the Joker flipped the gun – Shadow's gun – around, causing the last four – excluding Dean – to flinch like they were expecting to be the next ones dead. "You remaining boys, you work for me; therefore, you take orders from _me_. This is my city; we go by _my_ rules. Don't like it, you'll end up like your, ah, fellow man." The Joker pointed the gun at the corpse.

The Joker stared hard at the remaining men, taking in their reaction. Brian, James, Cory, and Shaun looked scared for their lives, but the last fellow, the Dean boy, met the Joker's eyes. The Joker's eyes narrowed. The kid had guts; might be an interesting experiment on how long it would take to turn this innocent kid around, to see how long it took to _break_ him.

"Peter, get the masks," the Joker ordered, "We're, ah, going out."

* * *

I shifted uneasily as I heard the Joker's last words. Gordon looked up at me with worry. "Are you all right?"

"I told you that I'm tired," I said. It was true; if I hadn't been so messed up in the sleep department, I could function better.

I had told Gordon everything with all honesty, everything about me, excluding Heath and my real name. He still called me Jane since I reached to tell him any other name. My explanation was to forget the past.

Gordon placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Jane, are you sure you can do this?"

"I can, but I warn you again. You shouldn't trust me, not in the least."

Gordon smiled. "I trust you." He pushed a cream-colored folder toward me. "Read it, think it over, and if you want it, sign it and give it to me," he said. "Now, let me drive you home."

"No, I'll stay here to read it," I said. He nodded, understandingly, and then, he stood up. I smiled at him as he left, but I dropped the smile as soon as the door closed.

You would think that I would be happy to become part of Gordon's force. I had my dream job now, as a detective, but I wasn't happy.

I stared at my hand that rested on the cream folder. What was I going to do? Gordon was going to get my badge, but what was _I_ supposed to do? I had been transformed from a criminal into a detective, in three hours.

I rubbed my face with my other hand. I felt so tired, having not got a wink of sleep last night. My mind wouldn't stop going, and my headache had been worse than ever.

Did love cause this sort of thing? The Joker had basically separated us, and now, I'm dealing with a bunch of problems already. Oh, Heath, what have you done to me?

I shook my head to clear it and opened the folder. The first thing I saw was a picture of a woman with flaming red hair. Underneath the picture was her criminal name: Poison Ivy.

For my first job, Gordon was going to have me deal with Poison Ivy! Was he _crazy_? I was deathly allergic to poison ivy!

* * *

The Joker looked out the window of the SUV, watching Gotham pass by. Then, he glanced at Dean who sat in the passenger's seat, directly diagonal from him.

Something about the kid bothered him. He was obviously younger than the rest, more of Shadow's age – which wasn't a good thin if she _was_ attacked to the kid. With the curious stare and puppy willingness, the Joker would assume that Dean had never been on the job as a criminal.

The guy was an innocent civilian!

A low growl rumbled from the Joker's throat, and Shaun and Brian, the unfortunate ones to sit next to him, tensed.

Dean turned around to look at the Joker. "Something wrong, boss?" A really _stupid_ civilian!

"Nothing." Why didn't he just kill the kid now while Shadow wasn't around to see? No point _now_ since they had arrived at the place they needed to be.

The Joker hopped out of the car, practically bouncing around it to get to Dean. He jumped at the kid as soon as Dean had closed his car door. The Joker grabbed the front of his jacket and slammed him against the car door. "Dean, ah, ever heard of 'don't speak to your boss unless he speaks first'?" the Joker asked him.

"Sorry, boss," Dean apologized with wide eyes, making him look like a puppy. "This is my first time."

The Joker's eyes widened. "Really?" He released the kid and straightened his jacket, his mood swinging. "Fine then, I want you to, ah, stay close to me so then I can _show_ you how things are done." He glanced over at Brian. "Get on your masks," he growled. "I don't, ah, have all day."

Once all of his henchmen had donned their clown masks, the Joker led the way into the building, Wayne Enterprises.

* * *

My head jerked up as someone yelled for Gordon. I stood up, grabbing the folder, and hurried out of the room.

"It's the Joker, Commissioner."

"What's he done now?" Gordon asked.

"Taken several hostages in Wayne Enterprises. He has Mr. Fox tied up, a gun to his head."

"What's his demands?"

"The new detective."

I stood there, feeling myself lighten from my depression. He wanted me back!

Gordon turned to look at me. "Stay here, Jane," he said, "The Joker knows you survived that drop."

I shivered at the memory of it. "Shouldn't I _be_ there? To give him the idea that you're giving me up?"

Gordon stared at me hard for several moments, searching my face for any sign of betrayal. I had said it sincerely. "No," he finally answered, "Stay here."

I watched him go before I headed back into the room, sitting down to try to concentrate on Poison Ivy. Unable to concentrate at that point, I sent out my shadow to follow Gordon.

* * *

The Joker tapped his foot impatiently. "You would, ah, think they learned to have a faster reaction." He spun to face Mr. Fox who was indeed tied up. Dean stood next to him, pointing a gun at his head. "How do, ah, you feel, Mr. Fox?" the Joker asked. "Hoping the police will come faster? Ha! They're getting slower because of all the other criminals." He spun a full three sixty and snapped open a switchblade. "It takes skill and style to be, ah, the best criminal. Do ya know what they call me?"

Mr. Fox who was gagged shrugged.

"The _Clown_ Prince of Crime." The Joker spun around as the door opened, allowing two clown inside the conference room.

"Boss, we can't find Reese," one clown said. It sounded like James.

"He's a sly one," the Joker remarked. "I know he's here. Keep looking." He began to pace, playing with his switchblade. Then, he turned and leaped at Mr. Fox, looming over him. "Tell me, Mr. Fox, does Bruce Wayne like you?"

Mr. Fox stared at him.

The Joker licked his lips. "Giving me the, ah, silent treatment isn't going to save you." He ripped down the gag so then Mr. Fox's mouth was free. The Joker placed his knife by Mr. Fox's lips. "I, ah, wonder if Mr. Reese happened to tell you who Batman was."

"Let him go, Joker," said a raspy voice.

The Joker glanced over his shoulder and grinned. "Well, Batman seems to care, ah, more than Bruce Wayne. Can't you see that I'm _busy_ here?"

Batman lunged at him, but the Joker dodged out of the way.

"C'mon, Batman, you can do better than that." The Joker grabbed a chair and slammed it down on Batman's head. Batman collapsed on the ground, and the Joker clicked free the knife under his shoe. He repeatedly kicked Batman who grunted loudly in pain.

Then, as Batman tried to get up, the Joker slammed another chair on his head, laying him low.

Dropping the remains of the chair, the Joker moved around Batman.

"Surely you can't be getting weaker." The Joker sniffed. "How, ah, _boring_…"

Then, Batman hit his legs out from underneath him. The Joker fell on his back, but got back on his feet. He leaped on Batman, hitting the back of his neck. Batman jerked himself up, grabbing the Joker's arm and tossing him.

The Joker laughed as he flew across the room, smashing into the wall. He bit his tongue, tasting blood. A kind of frenzy went through him as he rolled onto his feet.

Batman punched him, jerking his head to the side. The Joker laughed madly as Batman knocked him down again. He tried to scramble away, but Batman grabbed the collar of his purple jacket, yanking him back.

"Trying to get away?" Batman asked, punching the Joker in the face again. The Joker only responded with a laugh. Batman hit him again.

"You should, ah, really learn to _smile_ more," the Joker laughed. "You can't live your entire life without a laugh."

"You are the proof of what laughing too hard does to people," Batman growled.

The Joker giggled. "That's a good one," he said. Then, he kicked Batman in the chest, knocking him back. The Joker leaped to his feet and charged at Batman, knocking him down.

Something moved in the corner of his eyes, and the Joker turned his head, distracted. Batman picked him up and tossed him again, over the table.

The Joker's laughter cut short as he hit the table and then the chairs on the other side.

Batman moved around the table to make sure the Joker wasn't going to move. He knelt by his rival and moved his head.

Blood flowed freely from the side of the Joker's head.

* * *

I followed Gordon into the elevator as a shadow. I stood in the corner to avoid touching any of his men. The ride to the top took forever, it seemed. The ding sounded, and the doors slid open.

Gordon and his men piled out, and the police knocked aside the Joker's men. I raced after Gordon, suddenly having trouble keeping my shadow split with my pounding headache. He kicked open the doors to the conference room.

Mr. Fox was freeing himself from his cut bonds. One of the Joker's men lay on the ground, clearly knocked out. Two chairs were broken, their pieces scattered on the floor. Gordon asked Mr. Fox if he was all right while I went around the table.

My heart leaped into my throat, and then, my shadow returned.

* * *

**Lordlink13: See what I meant by hopping around. I was constantly switching from Shadow to the Joker and back again. Tell me if this chapter's all right. Shadow's gone to find me a beta reader, which I have someone in mind already, whom I'm gonna introduce in a few minutes. Oh, and another thing, since writing 'Lordlink13' takes forever, and - thanks to the Joker - you know what my first initial is, I'll be calling myself 'D' from now on. Still, the same person with the same penname, but calling myself something else.**

**Joker: *runs into the room* You changed your name legally? Ha ha.**

**D****: Shut up or you _will_ be learning how to fly like Batman.**

**Joker: Sounds like fun...ah, you messed that part up. *points to computer screen*  
**

**D: Stop being a grammar nazi.**

**Joker: Actually, ah, I'm a terrorist.**

**Achmed: SILENCE, I KILL YOU!!!**

**D: You did _not_ just bring Achmed on the floor.**

**Joker: We were business partners...once. I'm, ah, bomber, he's a suicide bomber. It worked out...for about ten seconds.**

**NiftyxSara: *walks in and smacks his nose* Bad puppy.**

**Joker: *whimpers, rubs his nose* What the, ah, heck?**

**Shadow: It's one of my best friends!!! And Lordlink13's - I meant, D's - possible beta reader! Totally awesome person, who stole my name from!!**

**D: Readers, this is my best friend, NiftyxSara (I started typing Mifty, before she pointed it out to me). And it's possible that she'll become my beta reader, if she fills out the beta reader profile.  
**

**NiftyxSara: Hello, readers, I know something you don't know...and it's been bothering _him _for _many_ chapters.**

**Joker: You know my, ah, fate?**

**NiftyxSara: *evil laughter* You spelled 'laughter' without a 't', Doctor.**

**D: I don't need _three_ grammar nazis!!!**

**NiftyxSara: All right, but don't forget the gal pal.**

**D: I'm _working_ on it! She'll arrive in chapter 30.  
**

**Shadow: *claps hands together* I want a gal pal.**

**Joker: *side look at D* I'm not sure if, ah, I should be worried or not.**

**D: You'll have a friend too.**

**Joker: I don't need a friend. I have Shadow. Just get rid of Dean; it will make me happier.**

**NiftyxSara: *smacks his head* Bad puppy! No apples for you!**

**Joker: What? Can't a guy have his girl _alone_?**

**D: You did...many chapters ago...and you did it _twice_ in one day.**

**Shadow: And you're not getting anymore until I get a gal pal...and Dean's not allowed to die!**

**D: I have a nasty little twist for him and the Joker.**

**NiftyxSara: *evil laughter, chokes on soda***

**Joker: I'm not turning, ah, _gay_! That is _one_ thing I _don't_ find _funny_!**

**Shadow: *freaked out, deer in the headlights look* Is he? *terrified***

**D&NxS: *laughing, run out of the room***

**Joker: Come _back_ here! *something hits him in the nose***

**NiftyXSara: *from hallway* BAD PUPPY!!**

**Joker: *rubbing nose* I think I'll go _sulk_ - not 'sluck', **Sinario** - in the corner now.**

**Shadow: Don't forget to review...please don't let _them_ make him gay!**

**D: Hehehe...**

**NiftyxSara: So crafty. Hehehehe...**

**Joker: *on the hotel phone* Pretend laughing contest out in the hallway on the second floor outside of room 253. Ah, please hurry.**

**Dr.&NxS: *run back into the room, pick up the Joker, and throw him out the window***

**Joker: I wasn't _ready_! *water splash sounds outside*  
**


	27. Chapter 27

Tears filled my eyes, and I covered them with a hand. He couldn't be dead; Heath couldn't have been killed. The only one capable would be Batman, and Batman's only rule is to not kill. Could he have made an exception for the Joker?

I remained there, fighting back tears. My body started shaking, but with an immense surge of willpower, I forced myself to stop, trying to keep myself calm. It wasn't until I heard the sirens of both police cars and an ambulance that I finally snapped out of it. If the police were bringing the Joker here, he couldn't be dead, nor mortally wounded.

I got up and joined the others in Gordon's unit, giving the expression that I didn't know what was going on. Gordon led two EMTs with a stretcher into the building. I had to turn away; one look at the blood that covered one side of his face made me want to burst into tears.

Choking back the tears, I followed after them as they moved into a small medical room. Gordon helped the two EMTs transfer the Joker from the stretcher to the table, then the EMTs began strapping the Joker down.

I stood in the doorway, watching them. If any of them hurt Heath, I'd kill them without a second though.

The Joker lay there, relaxed, with his eyes closed. His chest rose and fell slowly so I knew he was still alive.

Gordon asked the EMTs if there might be brain damage from a hit like that. 'A hit like that' still bled freely when one of the EMTs unbound the Joker's head. It was a good sized wound, bruised and bleeding. By now, the blood had covered most of the Joker's right side, going around his right eye. It was surprising to see that none of the blood had gotten onto his signature jacket.

"With a wound like this, someone would be dead already," one EMT said to answer Gordon's question. "His mind, unhinged already, would have some problems."

"I hope he'd be paralyzed on his left side," the other EMT said. "One less criminal to deal with."

"I'll have none of that," Gordon snapped. "He's criminally insane. The Joker will die when he has to, or if he escapes again, and the order happens to be to get him _either way_."

I stared at the Joker, hoping that the head wound wouldn't mess him up. He was perfect as a criminal mastermind; I couldn't picture him as an honest business man who went by the law. Whoever dared to destroy the Joker's image would die a very painful death.

The Joker's foot twitched.

My eyes widened in surprise, and then, I looked at Gordon and the EMTs to see if they had noticed. They were chattering away, oblivious to the fact that the Joker was coming around.

"Jane?" Gordon had finally noticed me standing there.

"His foot twitched," I said, pointing. "He might be coming around." Might as well tell them the obvious since they couldn't notice it for themselves.

The Joker opened his eyes slowly to adjust to the light. From where I stood, it looked like his eyes were glazed over, but that could've been the light.

The older of the EMTs flashed a light over the Joker's eyes to see the response. "Dilating response is quite rapid for a normal person," he remarked.

The younger EMT was probing the Joker's head wound gently. "No reaction to touch," he said, "I don't know if he feels-." He cut off as the Joker's right hand twitched. The EMT looked confused. "Isn't it supposed to be his _left_?"

Gordon shifted out of the way as the EMT by the Joker's head touched his left temple. The criminal mastermind gave no reaction.

"Breathing's normal…pulse is slightly faster than the norm…" The older EMT went down the list. "Any more reactions?"

"His foot twitches every once in awhile," Gordon said. "Can a hit to the head cause that?"

"Might be nerves," the older EMT answered.

A policeman entered the room, handing the older EMT a folder. "This is all that Arkham has on him."

"I wonder how he got out of that place," the younger EMT said.

"Susan, what are you doing here?" I turned and saw the Joker's new henchmen being led toward the holding cells. Dean was calling me. He had a swelling bruise on his head; he must have been the one in the conference room with the Joker and Mr. Fox. "Is he all right?" he asked.

"Shut up," an officer said, trying to force Dean back.

"I have a right to ask if my boss is all right!" Dean exclaimed. "Is he all right, Susan?"

"Do you know him, Jane?" Gordon asked.

"I wish I could say 'no'," I answered. "He's the friend who needed treatment. Now I understand why he would need treatment."

"Commissioner, he's awake," one EMT said. Gordon and I turned around to see the Joker shaking his head slowly. He shifted, trying to turn his head so he could look at us.

Gordon moved to stand in front of me.

"It doesn't matter, Gordon," I said. "He knows I'm here. There's no point trying to hide me." Gordon didn't move nonetheless.

The Joker still strained to look at me, but the EMTs interfered. One of them blocked my view, and all I heard was a furious growl.

Then, the younger EMT cried out in pain as the older leaped forward. Gordon moved and so did I – expect for me, it wasn't physically.

My shadow went to the Joker's side, seeing him biting the younger EMT's hand. I reached out a hand and caressed his cheek. Though the fact that I could touch him and feel him as a shadow amazed me, the effect of the shadowy touch on the Joker surprised me more.

Immediate stillness came over him. He released the EMT's hand and turned his head to face my shadow. The Joker's eyes searched the area wildly, looking for me even though he couldn't se me because I did not want anyone else to see me. Finally, I turned his head a bit more so then he looked straight at me.

"I'm here, Heath," I whispered so then only he could hear. I caressed his face gently, my fingers gliding over his head wound. He stiffened like it hurt him, and I bent over him, pressing my lips to the wound.

The blood had ceased to flow, but my touch had caused it to trickle. It wasn't something the Joker could die from.

"Jane?" I shot back to my solid self. "Jane, you look pale."

"I'm fine," I said. "It's just the lighting in here. What's to be done about him?" I jerked my head in the Joker's direction.

"Holding cell, separate from his men." Gordon gave me a calculating look.

"I know, he's not in my department," I told him. "I read about Poison Ivy already, and I'm thinking of taking it." Behind Gordon, the Joker stiffened, whether it be from the EMT cleaning his head wound or it be from hearing what I said, I don't know.

"It's dangerous," Gordon warned me.

"_Danger_ is my middle name," I told him in response. Then, I turned and headed toward the holding cell. There was _someone_ I needed to give a piece of my mind.

"Susan," Dean said, jumping up and hurrying over to the bars. "Did they capture you too?"

"No," I told him. Then, I took a different approach. "I can't believe you, Dean. How long have you been working for the Joker?"

"Since last night-."

"Don't _lie_ to me." I was hoping he'd take the hint.

"I'm not lying to you." Apparently, he didn't get it. "You were there-."

"Was I?" I was acting the part of the upset friend. I had to try to make Dean understand what I was going. "This is why you look so beat up most of the time."

"What?" Dean asked, looking confused.

"You've received so many hits to the head; that's why you can't remember."

Dean rubbed his head like it pained him. "I remember last night though," he said.

"How can you?" I demanded.

"I remember playing poker with my pals." He gestured to the others in the cell with him. I looked at them quickly, seeing Shaun, James, and Brian. Where were Jon and Peter? "And this stranger comes over…" Dean hesitated, searching my face for instructions. I gave him none. "I must have drunk too much. I've been in the Joker's gang for two months. Had I known you were here, I wouldn't have sunken so low." Dean put on a sober act, slumping his shoulders and looked depressed. I had to admit, he was convincing.

Heath had competition…

"Clear me, Susan," Dean pleaded. "You know I wouldn't do this if I had a better alternative."

"I know, Dean," I said, sadly, "But I can't do that. You'd have to see Commissioner Gordon on that."

"Jane," Gordon said, "Do you mind if Stephens drives you home? I'll be busy here."

"No, I can walk," I told him. As I walked past him, I whispered, "The youngest of the gang wishes to speak with you when you have a moment."

"Your friend?"

"Yes, his name is Dean." Without saying another word, I headed out of the room, but then I stopped, feeling a burning gaze on my back. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw two policemen leading the Joker out of the medical room. From where I stood, I could see fury burning in the criminal mastermind's eyes.

The Joker did not look in my direction as the policemen led him into a holding cell on the other side of the room. They had taken his purple jacket already and handcuffed him. The burning fury seemed to radiate off him, making the two policemen uneasy.

Their relief came once the Joker was behind bars. The Joker went straight to the bench and sat down, lowering his burning gaze to the floor.

The Joker wasn't happy with me. I felt the rage aimed at me from across the room. The only reason he could be mad at me would be because I had taken him off guard.

Rage raced through my veins. Since when did I have to go to him to get permission to go on with an improvised plan? He was angry with me because he knew I _hadn't_ planned my fake relationship with Dean. The Joker should be flexible; he had no right to be in complete charge over me.

"Wait, Jane," Gordon called me.

"_What?"_ I spun around, my own fury growing instantly into irritation.

The sharp tone warned him to back off. "Never mind," he said, sounding hurt.

I inhaled deeply through my nose, forcing myself to calm down. "I'm sorry, Commissioner, what is it?"

He hesitated. "I noticed that the clown seems to react to you." Gordon took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you would talk to him and see if his…" He trailed off, searching for the word.

"Anger," I supplied.

"Yes, his anger has anything to do with you."

I chewed on my lip in thought.

"I'd have men stationed in the room."

"That won't be necessary," I told him. "Keep him handcuffed, that's all I'm asking."

"So you'll do it?"

I nodded.

Gordon handed me another cream folder. "This is his, if you haven't guessed." I took it and opened it, seeing the pictures of Heath without his makeup. "Do you need some time?"

"Yes, I need to look this over. Give me ten minutes." I found an empty room and entered it. It had to be where people slept if they were working overnight. I collapsed onto a couch and opened the file. They had the basics, describing the Joker with and without his makeup. His name, age, and origin were unknown. The list of crimes he committed had been listed. Arkham's view on his state of mind was there as well.

I took my ten minutes, reading everything on the Joker. Most of this stuff would have him cracking up, at least the report on his mental state.

"Criminally insane," I murmured. "How about insane all around?" I stood up and then left the room. Gordon stood waiting for me.

"Are you sure you don't want anyone in there with you?" he asked.

I handed him the Joker's files. "I'm fine." I opened the door and entered the interrogation room.

The burning gaze finally fell on me. He sat stock still, despite him chewing on his lower lip. I faced that fury with my own as I went to sit across from him. This time, I crossed my arms, sitting comfortable. I wasn't going to release him from his torment this time; I'm going to see how long it takes the maddog to _crack_.

I made sure that my watch was visible so then I could time him. The Joker's been emotional broken for awhile; I wonder if killing his old henchmen helped to freeze him over. If not, I figured I'd have to put him in a freezer, or I'll give him to Mr. Freeze. The thought almost made me lose for laughing.

In the silence, I heard the Joker's foot tapping on the floor. He didn't seem to have lost his physical responses. Again, I almost burst out laughing because it seemed like I was analyzing the Joker's reaction to silence.

The minutes ticked by. I didn't move, except to look at my watch and even then it was a small gesture. As time went by, the Joker became very edgy. His leg bounced, and he constantly shifted in his seat. The handcuffs jingled as he moved his hands, rubbing them together or something – his hands were hidden underneath the table so I couldn't see what he was going. He could've been trying to pick the lock.

I jerked my head up, making sure his eyes saw the movement. Obediently, the Joker placed his handcuffed hands on the table without hesitation, putting his palms faceup. I glanced at them and nodded slightly; I was tempted to say "good puppy", not like he would have liked that even if we were alone.

Time passed. Twenty-three minutes…even I was starting to get edgy, but I forced myself to stay put, keeping all my attention on the Joker.

The Joker had stopped moving so much. Instead, his eyes shifted about the room, and he chewed on his lip or cheek, or he licked his scarred mouth. Occasionally, he lifted his hands to push some stray hair out of his face. His leg still bounced, and his hands were clasped together, trembling slightly.

I couldn't feel any of his burning fury. It seemed to have drained away. My own anger had faded fifteen minutes ago.

My watch almost reached a total of thirty minutes when a smile finally cracked on the Joker's face.

"All right, ah, you win," he said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I broke, ah, the silence. I lose."

* * *

**Shadow: Beat **_**that**_**, Mistah J.**

**Joker: *walks in, dripping wet, his makeup smudged* Shut up, Shadow. Why did you let D and NxS throw me out the window?**

**Shadow: C'mon, you should think it was fun.**

**Joker: It was fun, but honestly, it was uncalled for.**

**D: Hey, people, I wonder if you were all out or something so I'll give you a second chance at the hug from the Joker contest thing.**

**Joker: For any guys, I'm, ah, _not_ hugging you. I'll shake your hand or something.**

**NxS: No french kissing?**

**Joker: *glares at her* I'm not giving _you_ a kiss or anything.**

**D: But she won the previous review contest, Mister J. She's waiting for that hug of yours.**

**Joker: *folds arms* No.**

**NxS: Naughty puppy. *throws arms around his neck and kisses him on the lips***

**Joker: *pulling away* Damn you, NxS!**

**NxS: *hits his nose* Bad puppy! Do you want to fly out the window again?**

**Joker: First time, ah, was exciting, but going on a second time would just ruin the fun.**

**NxS: Good *pushes him out the window***

**D: So yeah, people, the review contest is still up, we're prolonging it for another week. Review on any of the chapters you haven't reviewed on since there's a limit to how many reviews you can do on a chapter.**

**NxS: Limit's one review per chapter.**

**Shadow: Don't forget to review for reals!  
**


	28. Chapter 28

I finally eased from my position, putting my hands on the table and shifted in my chair.

"Comfortable now?" the Joker asked, while shifting his position as well.

"Quite," I answered.

"I don't mean to, ah, give you the impression that I didn't like that game – which, ah, I enjoyed _immensely_ – but I have to ask. What was the point?"

"A matter of stubbornness and curiosity," I replied.

"Curiosity, eh? Stubborn, I'm not so sure." The Joker shifted again. "What's your name?"

"I'll tell mine if you tell me your real name."

"Never mind then, _Detective_."

He was mocking my new title already. "You afraid of the police finding your real name?"

"Of course not," he said. "There's no records on me as far as I know."

"Unless you suffered some kind of memory loss, you obviously know what your real name is," I replied sarcastically.

"It's not, ah, something I want to tell you since you _know_ what it is," he shot back. He was obviously enjoying this.

I looked at him, curiously. What was he playing at? Was he trying to get me into trouble or did he have some other idea for this conversation? Either way, his statement had caught the police's attention.

"I only know you under the name of the Joker," I said, calmly. "Unless you happen to have met me before, I'd have to say you might be thinking of a different person."

"No, it's you," the Joker said, licking his lower lip. A soft giggle escaped his lips. "I could recognize your face _anywhere_."

I leaned back, ready to push my chair back if I needed to. "Who _are_ you?"

"You know me better than anyone, Tiger."

I really wanted to know what he was getting at. "What kind of game is this?"

"It's not a game, Jane. I'm being, ah, serious." The Joker chewed on his lip, and his eyes focused on mine. "Tell me, how'd you survive that drop? I know Batman didn't, ah, jump after you because he was on top to throw me over." The Joker, unable to suppress his laughter for much longer, giggled. "Best fall in the world…it was very exciting."

He was telling me something. I stared hard at him, watching him laugh, my eyes narrowing as I tried to guess. Then, I had it. Oh no, he _didn't_.

"You survived the drop, didn't you?" I countered.

"Sure," the Joker said, leaning forward. "It's one of my magic tricks."

"Magic tricks?" I had read about his 'magic tricks' in the Arkham report, but then, I knew about them from when we were kids. Then, his magic tricks were like any other magician's tricks.

"You wanna see one?" he asked eagerly.

"No," I said, tersely.

The Joker looked disappointed. "You're no fun, _Detective_. You're too, ah, _serious_."

"Har har," I said. "There always has to be a careless person and a serious person."

"You calling me, ah, _careless_."

"Did you care about your life after Batman threw you over the edge? When was the last time you cared about being caught? What about caring about family or friends?"

The Joker burst out laughing. "Are-are you trying to _break_ me, Detective? I'm not _that_ fragile!"

"Just curious," I answered. I leaned forward and said, "It's a mystery how a man like you became what you are now."

"_What_ I am? It's _who_ I am, Tiger."

"Nonetheless, no one knows, except you. And maybe even _you_ don't know."

The Joker made a popping noise with his mouth. "It's a mystery only you can solve, _dar_-ling."

"Shut up," I said, irritated. "How do you know me?"

"Sixth grade." He looked uncertain for a moment, and then he said, "Social studies. Ms. Wood." I stared at him, hard. "Quiet kid," the Joker continued. "No real friends."

Was he describing himself or me?

"Followed one of his classmates around."

He was describing himself, taking on my past role.

"This classmate wasn't one to mess with. Caused trouble, ah, more often than not she was quiet herself."

He was describing me, taking on _his_ past role.

"I'd say her name, but, ah, she goes by a, ah, a different name now." He tilted his head, looking at me. "You remember?"

"Damn you," I murmured, letting my language slip.

A grin appeared on the Joker's face.

"Damn you," I said, louder. "You son of a-."

"Don't be nasty, Jane," the Joker said. "I won't say your name if you promise not to say mine."

I glared at him. "You turned the tables around."

"I've had practice," the Joker said, playing with the chain between his handcuffs. I believed him; he drove several people in Arkham nuts.

"I wonder if you were a psychologist."

The Joker looked at me. "What, ah, makes you think that?"

"You used to observe things. You'd try things to see how people reacted. You liked to pluck at people's strings."

"I grew out of that."

I chuckled. "I doubt that."

"Why?"

"Because you look like a kid being kept in from recess for detention."

The Joker leaned back, tapping his fingers on the table. "Are you _sure_ you don't want to see a magic trick?"

"I'm sure. It's probably just you getting out of those handcuffs."

"How'd you guess?" The Joker slipped his hands out of the cuffs. "No, that was only part of it. I have a very _shadowy_ trick up my sleeve."

"We'll save that one for later," I told him. I sighed as I reached for the handcuffs.

The Joker was fast, but I was just as fast. He grabbed my wrist at the same time as I grabbed his other hand, slamming it down on the table. His eyes met mine, and he licked his lips, grinning. "How 'bout a dance, Tiger?" he asked, giggling.

"My answer is the same from back in sixth grade," I said. "I don't dance with _losers_."

"Am I still a loser, Jane?" he asked, standing up as I did. We were like reflections of one another; who the mirror was, I didn't know.

"I consider you a loser," I told him. "Do you want to know why?"

"I'm _eager_ to know why," he answered, licking his lips.

"You're a lowlife, psychotic, maddog of a clown with no empathy for anyone, not even yourself."

"I've heard worse."

"I doubt that."

"Doubt it or don't. Doesn't matter to me either way."

I wanted to cry. The Joker's ever-tightening grip on my wrist was bruising, and it was cutting off the blood circulation. It was getting so bad that my eyes threatened to start tearing up. Why they hadn't done it yet, who knows.

I headbutted him, but the Joker simply laughed it off, tightening his grasp on me even more. Tears flooded in my eyes, but I blinked to clear my vision.

"There's only one condition I would like to make with you, Jane. I promise to keep your name a secret, _and_ I'll release you _if_, ah, you promise to keep my name a secret."

"Never," I spat at him.

"You know, Jane, I remember that you have a fear of a broken arm." He started twisting my wrist. "Afraid to not be able to use your arm, _especially_ after that fall from the top of the good ol' oak tree."

I gasped as agonizing pain shot up my arm. I released his wrist to grab mine, but his freed hand gripped my other wrist. The Joker began twisting that one too.

"You're, ah, at quite a disadvantage, Jane."

"Shut up," I growled. Why weren't the police coming in? "Gordon!"

"Call for Gordon," the Joker said. "I'm pretty sure he's too busy right now. So…" He twisted my wrists more, and I gasped. "Everyone has a breaking point. I, ah, wonder what yours is."

The pain was my only focus. My vision turned blood red, my knees buckled from underneath me. The pain in my knees did not compare to the agony in my arms and shoulders. My head fell to the table, the coolness feeling hot against my forehead. A pounding headache emerged, and my agonizing fingers twitched. I wanted to shadow away from the pain, but I couldn't reveal my secret ability to Gordon; they were all suspicious enough.

Why was the Joker hurting me so bad?

"Do you, ah, promise, Jane?" The Joker's voice echoed cruelly through my mind, increasing the pain.

"I swear," I managed to say. The Joker twisted my wrists the other way and then released them. Despite him releasing me, my shoulders ached with the dull pain. My headache grew worse. My vision came back, but everything was red. My body wouldn't respond to my brain. I fell to the ground, limp, with no feeling.

The Joker's shoes came into my view, and he crouched beside me. Before he could say anything, the door slammed open.

"Get back, Joker!" Gordon shouted. The Joker jumped away from me, holding up his hands in surrender. "Your men's attempt to distract us was good-."

"But not good enough," the Joker completed.

"What did you do to her?"

"Threatened to break her arms, and got her to swear not to tell my real name – which doesn't exist in the first place," he replied calmly and truthfully.

Two officers, with their guns drawn on the Joker, approached him while Gordon bent down next to me.

"Jane," he said.

"I'm fine." I blinked my eyes and shook my head. Gordon helped me to a sitting position, and I looked at my wrists. The one the Joker had grabbed first was bruising badly, and it throbbed painfully. "Maybe I'm not." I looked up to see the two officers forcing the Joker out of the other door. "Wait, Joker, one more thing."

The Joker turned, despite the officers urging him out.

"I actually doubt that Batman threw you over. I'm pretty sure that you jumped on your _own free will_."

The Joker gave me the angriest look anyone would never see on his face. I had revealed his love for me.

Once the Joker was gone, Gordon helped me to my feet and then led me to the medical room. I sat down on the table, an ice pack wrapped around my wrists. Gordon took a seat in a metal chair, and he faced me.

"I'm sorry, Gordon," I said quietly.

"Don't be. The promise to keep his name secret was only a sacrifice for more information. You know the Joker personally."

"I value my life, Commissioner," I replied, dully.

"I'm not asking you to reveal everything. Reveal what you want. I just hope it's something that would help us figure out how he became who he is."

I stroked my hand, lost in my own thoughts. The Joker had been the one who had saved me from the harbor. He risked blowing his secret to save me. If he loved me so much, why did he hurt me?

I must be insane, just like him. In the right state of mind, I would leave the Joker, or I would teach him not to hurt me. But, that was my weakness; I fought back sometimes, only to be hurt again.

"Jane?"

"I wish to be alone, Gordon, please." I put my face in my hands, simply breathing, waiting for the door to signal that Gordon was gone.

I didn't understand. Why did the Joker beat me? Why didn't I leave him when I first had the chance? Why did love _have_ to be so painful?

I doubted love would hurt me this much had I fallen in love with someone else. I had lost the ever so gentle Heath when his father had cut open one side of his mouth. I had lost the caring Heath when he had cut the other side of his mouth for Jeannie, whoever she was.

Jeannie…why did the name sound so familiar?

I sat there for several minutes, pondering. When the door opened, I looked up. "Yes, Gordon?" I asked. Even though I hadn't heard the door before, apparently he had left.

"Are you ready to go home?" Gordon asked.

"Yes, I am." I hopped off the table and followed him out of the room. I stopped short. "Dean?"

"He's talking to Detective Stephens. I'll give you the results tomorrow. Do you want a ride home?"

"No, I'll walk." I slipped off the ice packs on my wrists and handed them wordlessly to Gordon. Then, I left the MCU and the Joker behind.

Gotham was quiet as I headed to my apartment. I zipped up my jacket to ward off the cold breeze that whistled through the empty streets.

* * *

The Joker licked his lips, playing with his hands. Sitting on the only bench in his cell, he looked across the room to his men.

They had Brian, James, Shaun, and Peter. Dean was talking to Detective Stephens and Commissioner Gordon. It had been Peter who had caused the trouble to try and distract the police so the Joker could escape.

The Joker glared at Peter. No one made move without consenting him first. He must have kept the mental man for too long, the only survivor of two to three groups of men the Joker had used. The Joker knew Shadow didn't like Peter, but unlike Bob, the Joker had kept Peter because of his useful abilities.

It _did_ seem like it was time to get rid of him.

Dean appeared with Gordon, and he was still talking. The Joker's eyes narrowed as he listened. It seemed like Dean had played on Shadow's little story of him and her. Only the Joker knew that _he _had been the friend who needed treatment, not Dean.

The Joker added the kid to his hit list. Peter needed to go, and Dean…well, he was already getting on the Joker's nerves. A little _accident_ when Shadow wasn't around…that would be the best way to get rid of him.

Gordon nodded to Dean as he took off the handcuffs. "If I see you with one of these criminals again, I won't let you off."

"Don't worry. If you find me with one, I'd be dead already." Dean smiled and shook Gordon's hand. Then, he glanced over at the Joker and winked.

The Joker jumped up from the bench, shaking with rage. That was it! Dean was gonna die whether Shadow was there or not, and his death was not going to be quick or painless.

* * *

**D: And there we have the Joker being a _mad_ puppy dog.  
**

**NxS: Silly puppy, you really should leave Dean alone. He's such a good kid, and I think you two would get along way better if you gave him a chance.**

**Joker: Don't call me a 'puppy', NxS, not even the word 'silly'. I am neither.**

**Shadow: You have no problem when she calls you a puppy when it's just her and D talking to one another.**

**Joker: That's, ah, _not _for the public to know, Shadow.**

**D: Whatever, Mister J. You seem to be rather moody lately.**

**Joker: *crosses arms* I have reasons.**

**D: Readers, he cheated and read my rough outline for the story. He didn't like what he saw.**

**Shadow: Did he see his death?**

**D: I'm not saying, and he's not allowed to say either.**

**Joker: I don't turn gay, thank God!**

**NxS: I didn't know you believed in God.**

**Joker: I don't...ah, thank Chaos!**

**Shadow: _That_ sounds better.**

**D: So yeah, this chapter was previewed by my dear beta reader, NiftyxSara (NxS, for short). I think she did a good job.**

**NxS: Thank you, D. Anyhoo, personally, I can't wait 'til chapter, oh, say, thirty? Hehehe!**

**D: Just cause that's when Shadow's gal pal comes in...*sigh***

**Shadow: Don't forget to review, dear readers!  
**


	29. Chapter 29

I heard footsteps behind me. When they got close enough, I crouched and threw my arms out to the side. Two people jumped on either side of me, and they instantly turned to barrel me over.

I fell onto my back and brought my legs up to catch both attackers in the chest. Having knocked them back, I bounced to my feet and knocked one to the ground with a left hook. The other I grabbed by the shirt and slammed them against the alley wall.

"Strong and quick as ever, Shadow." I spun around to see the man in a green suit, covered with question marks. "I wonder if the Joker taught you anything."

"Riddler," I growled.

"The tiger's angry." The Riddler twisted his cane, which held a question mark as a handle. "It's no wonder the Joker is so fascinated by you, especially since you are acting like a _two-sided_ coin."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Acting as a shadowy criminal of Gotham, yet you pretend you're a detective." The Riddler threw his cane up in the air, end-over-end, before catching it, pointing the question mark at me. "Tell me, Shadow, how would you like coming to a certain meeting? No tricks, no riddles, all of the top criminals of Gotham are invited, except the Joker since he's behind bars at the moment."

"No, I'm not interested," I told him.

"Sorry, Shadow, but that's not one of your options." I felt hands on my shoulders. "Be nice, Shadow, and humor us. Query and Echo won't hurt you unless you give them reason to."

I glanced at the two people at my sides. Query and Echo, two women dressed in red gymnastic suits with a question mark on their bosoms. To complete their costume, they wore tights and gloves that matched the Riddler's green jacket.

"Now, I ask you again, do you mind coming along to a _very_ important meeting?" the Riddler asked.

I sighed and said, "Might as well."

The Riddler grinned and twirled his cane again. He slammed it onto his shoulder. "Let's go then. Lucky for you, Shadow, the meeting place is right 'round the corner."

He wasn't just saying that either. We walked the building 'right 'round the corner' and went down into the basement.

It seemed to have become a make-shift conference room with a long table and several chairs. I recognized the Penguin and Catwoman, but there were two others that I knew but not personally.

In a suit of armor composed of pliant thermally stable plastics – I learned what it was later – sat Mr. Freeze, and several seats away from him sat Poison Ivy. I decided to stand rather than sit at any of the tables; not only did I want an escape route at my back, but the last thing I needed was to have an allergic reaction.

"Now that everyone's here, we can begin," the Riddler said, cheerfully.

"What about the Joker?" the Penguin asked.

"I recently found out that he's behind bars," the Riddler answered. "I couldn't get him an invitation."

"Not like we wanted him here in the first place," Poison Ivy said. "Our meeting is how to kill him."

"Wrong, Ivy," Catwoman spoke up. "It's how to kill the Batman."

"Not like you would help much since you're in love with him."

"Ivy, Catwoman," the Riddler called, hitting the floor with his cane. "We're here in peace with one another. We all want to kill Batman."

"Except the Joker," Penguin pointed out.

"Which is why he was excluded." I rolled my eyes when he said that; didn't they just get through saying he wasn't invited because he was behind bars?

"What about our newest member?" Mr. Freeze asked, looking at me with icy blue eyes. Newest member? What, was I going to get some kind of pin now? I was not joining their little club.

"She plays a two-sided coin," the Riddler answered, before I could say anything. "Takes it from Harvey 'Two-Face'."

Two-Face? Did the Riddler mean Harvey Dent?

"Why does she call herself 'Shadow'?" I almost rolled my eyes at Mr. Freeze when he said that. Wasn't he supposed to be smart…or was that the Riddler? I didn't know any better; it seemed like Mr. Freeze was having a bit of trouble. Maybe being frozen for a certain amount of time really does mess you up.

"We all have our criminal names, don't we, Mr. Freeze." Mr. Freeze grunted in response to that, like he didn't like having the Riddler point out the obvious. "We all have one thing in common and that's Batman," the Riddler continued. "And I suppose we have another: the Joker."

I checked the mike in my ear to make sure it was there. The Joker should definitely hear this, if anything. I just hoped he still had his in.

"We've tried, by ourselves, to take on Batman, but he seems to be able to outsmart all of us. But, the question is: If combined, can we bring the Dark Knight down?" The Riddler spun his cane around. I was tempted to go over there and steal it from him. "Can we work together against Batman? It's up to all of us to figure this puzzle out. Then, if we can get rid of Batman and the Joker, we can figure out what to do with Gotham that would give all of us the power we want."

I almost started laughing. It was a ridiculous idea: for all the criminal masterminds to get together to beat their ultimate enemy.

I really didn't want anything to do with these morons. "Might I suggest something?" I asked.

"Go ahead and suggest away," the Riddler said.

"Have any of you considered _leaving_ Gotham? That way none of you would have to kill one another."

"We all have a reason," Catwoman said, "Batman."

"What did he do to you?" I asked. "Revenge will only get you through part of your life. Once Batman is dead, what will you do?" I had their attention, and I didn't want any of them to steal my butter. I was on a roll!

"I can guess some things about a few of you. Catwoman wants Batman gone so she can steal anything she wants. Riddler wants to come up with a puzzle that Batman can't defeat. Penguin wants Batman out of the way so he can become mayor. Mr. Freeze…I honestly don't know, but Poison Ivy wants the world to stop polluting.

"As I see it, three of you have a reason to care about the pollution problem. Any of you attracted to animals or plants are in that category. You'll have something to fight for once Batman's gone. What about the rest of you?"

I brushed my hair out of my face casually. "Just think of it. Wouldn't you be better off working alone and seeing who can kill Batman first? If you work together, whoever kills Batman will be the next one dead. You'll all pounce on one another once Batman is out of the way." I shrugged. "Your choice, I suppose."

I looked about the room to the different reactions. Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy looked deep in thought; Catwoman looked unbothered. The Penguin gave the Riddler a calculating look while the Riddler glared at me.

I threw a confident smirk in the Riddler's direction before I spun around, knocking his two women down easily. Then, I simply walked up and out of the meeting place.

Again, I headed toward my apartment. A few yards away from the building, I heard someone calling my name and rapid footsteps.

I sighed and kept going until I heard the familiar voice say, "Susan, wait up."

I stopped and turned, my eyes widening. "Dean?" I said. "How did you-?"

"Gordon let me go," Dean explained, a grin on his face. Seeing him all cheerful brightened my mood. "You going home?"

"Yeah, I'm tired."

"Mind if I walk home with you?"

"That's no problem." I'd probably be safer if Dean was with me anyway.

He didn't hesitate to ask the question on his mind. "Why'd you lie like that back there?"

"I just did. In a way, I'm still trying to set things up." I glanced at him. "You repeat this to anyone and I'll kill you."

"Seems like Shadow has a soft spot," Dean said, grinning.

I stepped in front of him and turned on him. The Joker's pocketknife rested in my hand. "Dean, I'm serious."

Dean lifted his hands, as if they would protect him. "Easy, Susan-."

"Jane," I growled, "My name's Jane from now on. If anyone asks, Susan's my middle name."

"That's what I told Gordon when he asked."

"At least you had _some_ sense for that." I turned and started walking away.

Dean caught my arm. "Shadow, I didn't mean to insult you if I did."

"You're so naïve," I yelled at him. He covered my mouth, and I half-expected him to throw me against the wall. He didn't because he was Dean, not the Joker.

"Don't attract attention, Jane," Dean whispered. "There are still criminals out here."

I tore away from his grasp and tried walking away again, but he held tight to my arm. "Let me go, Dean," I ordered.

Surprisingly, he released me. I walked away from him without saying another word or looking back. He had no right; he was one of the Joker's men, not mine.

I could hear him following me, but at a distance. Finally, I stopped and turned on him, clenching the Joker's pocketknife tightly in my hand. "What do you _want_, Dean?" I demanded.

He halted, looking at me with surprise. "Nothing," he said, and then shook his head. "No, I meant…em." He didn't have any words.

"If you want orders, go get the Joker out of jail, _without_ getting caught."

"I was thinking that already, but no, that's not what I want."

"It doesn't matter what you want when you are nothing more than a henchman!"

"Not so loud, Jane." Dean cleared his throat, nervously. He had finally caught on to the fact that I was angry. "You should realize my situation. The Joker overheard our little _lie_ back there, and it's obvious that he's not happy about it."

I figured _that_ was why,

"Unless you want me to die, I suggest you come up with a way to keep the Joker from blowing my head off like he did with Jon."

Jon's head was blown off? That was news to me. The Joker must have been in a temper.

"Why'd he do that?" I demanded. I had liked Jon.

"Probably to ensure that the rest of us knew who's boss." Dean shuddered. "At least it was a quick end for Jon. He didn't suffer."

"Whoever is killed by the Joker, and doesn't suffer, is lucky." I glanced at my watch. "It's late, Dean."

"Yeah, I figured," he said. "Go home and rest. I'll see you tomorrow morning at nine."

"What?"

"At nine _sharp_. Breakfast. I got a good place in mind." He waved at me and walked in the opposite direction.

I stood there, utterly confused. Did Dean just ask me out on a date, in the form of _breakfast_? Surely he must be aware of the Joker's attraction to me…never mind, scratch that. Dean hadn't been a henchman when Bob was. He'd be dead for sure.

I finally turned and forced myself to walk, but I had only gone seven paces before I stopped again. To wander on the street was dangerous. I shadowed to my apartment, but then, I realized that I shouldn't have.

I shadowed back outside and entered through the front door. The lights were off, but the glow from the streetlamps illuminated the dark lobby. There was Mrs. Wood, sleeping on the stairs.

I shook my head in disbelief before I went over to grab her hand. I had been in her room once before so I could shadow us there without difficultly. The shadowing her to her bed proved to be more difficult; I didn't want to wake her up.

Somehow, I managed, and then I shadowed back to my apartment.

The thoughts of Dean flooded back into my mind as I collapsed onto my bed. As usual, the night had been very tiring. I was surprised when I didn't fall asleep very easily.

There I lay on my bed, wide awake, hoping to fall asleep at some point. It didn't come.

My mind raced about the idea that Dean had just asked me out. How long had I know Dean? One day!...wait a second…

I had been in the Joker's company for a day, not even, before he started hitting on me. Of course, the Joker already knew me. Dean didn't know me, but he had already asked me on a date.

What was up with this? Why couldn't I have gotten this kind of attention back in middle school? I blame Heath for that; he held back because I was eleven when he first met me. Dean had to be close to my age now so he was taking a more cautious approach.

The Joker, on the other hand, threw all caution out the window when he first _touched_ me.

I punched my pillow, rolling over to my side. Sleep was being lazy, leaving my to contain my restless mind. Hoping it would help, I let my shadow go to the Joker's old apartment across the street.

It made me depressed to see it so empty. Nothing remained to remind me of the Joker or his men. Bob could still be down in the basement, but I didn't want to go down there.

A longing for the Joker came over me. My shadow shadowed to the MCU, to the Joker's cell. He was still wide awake, staring off into the distance. My shadow wrapped its arms around his neck from behind, going through the bars.

The Joker jerked at my shadowy touch, like before, but he eased into a more relaxed position. "Shadow," he whispered.

"Don't speak," I whispered close to his ear. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I deserved it after surprising you."

My shadow nuzzled his neck, and he slowly moved his head to the side to expose more of his skin. "Is this why you thought we should separate?" I asked. "Seems unfair since I saw you again behind invisible bars…or worse, with blood running down the side of your face."

"Seems fair to me." The Joker jerked his head straight, cracking his neck. "You should go."

"Not until I ask about your thoughts on that mastermind meeting."

"Ask away."

"What do you think?"

The Joker hesitated. "Interesting to think, ah, they are thinking of joining together."

"It was the Riddler's idea."

"He must be ticked. You ruined his plan."

"Cracked it, but didn't break it," I sighed.

The Joker shrugged as a policeman walked by, glaring at him. "Go rest, Shadow. I, ah, can feel the exhaustion through your shadow."

"It's like you have some ability to know what I'm doing."

"I know you better than anyone. Go back. I doubt that this will, ah, be the last time we speak to one another."

"One more thing, Mistah J."

"Yes?"

"Don't kill Dean yet."

The Joker's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Fine," he said, grudgingly.

"You promise?"

"I swear," he said, echoing my own words. I went back to my apartment, but not until after I had kissed his lips softly.

* * *

**NxS: CHAPTER THIRTY NEXT YAY! *dances around happily***

**D: She's too happy for her own good.**

**NxS: Hey, Mistah J, how was your sleeping quarters two nights ago?**

**Joker: You know, ah, I didn't sleep well.**

**NxS: Cause you didn't have your love with you. Where is Shadow?**

**D: Out...with her gal pal..._before_ she even meets her in the next chapter. I mean, c'mon, Shadow's ruining it.**

**Joker: Let her, ah, off the hook, and keep writing. Review, peoples, and for those of you who deserve the hug...I'll give it to you when I'm not so tired.  
**


	30. Chapter 30

A pounding headache awoke me. I sat up, holding my forehead with a hand just as my alarm went off. I let it go as I walked out into my kitchen. With a glass of water, I swallowed two Tylenol and then went to get some ice for my bruised wrist.

The other one had recovered so I didn't worry about it. My hand was stiff, and when I moved it, it hurt. With ice on it, I rummaged through my cabinets for the ace bandage to wrap around my wrist to keep me from moving my hand too much.

Once my hand and wrist were bandaged stiff, I went into my room to get dressed.

A knock sounded on my apartment door. I jumped into my jeans and went to answer the door, hoping it wasn't Mrs. Wood.

"Morning, Jane," Dean greeted me, a cheerful smile on his face. He was leaning casually in the doorway. "You ready?"

"Just let me get my shoes," I told him. For some reason, I couldn't find my sneakers or my cell phone. I rubbed my head, wincing in pain.

"Are you all right, Jane?" Dean asked. I whirled around, surprised by his voice. He had followed me into my bedroom.

"Just a headache," I told him, lamely, "I already took Tylenol."

"No, you're shaking. And your shoes are by the front door."

I started panicking, realizing that I _was_ shaking. Was the headache _that_ bad or was I losing it? "What about my cell phone?" I demanded.

"In your hand."

I glanced at it and let out a strangled whimper.

"Jane?"

"I'm fine, just give me a minute." I winced; my headache was getting worse and I was starting to get dizzy. "Will you go get my shoes, Dean, _please_?"

"Sure." Despite the situation, he was obedient and left me, though he did hesitate.

I sat down on the bed and flipped open my cell. I was going to push the call button when I stopped myself. Who was I going to call? I knew no one, other than the Joker, who knew about my shadowing ability and my headaches, and the Joker was behind bars!

I sighed and rubbed my face with a hand. "Heath, if only you were here right now…" I murmured, hoping my earphone caught it to bring it to the Joker.

Dean returned with my shoes.

"Thank you, Dean," I said, trying to sound cheerful as I reached for my sneakers. "I'm just hungry, I guess."

"Let's hope that's the problem," he said, helping me up and putting an arm over my shoulders.

"That's one thing I won't allow," I told him firmly. I gently pushed his arm away from me.

"My apology," he said, grinning his cheerful smile. Seeing the smile cheered me up. "It's about time that you lightened up. You've been uptight since the poker night."

"It's a natural thing for me," I murmured, hoping he wouldn't hear.

"I don't think I was supposed to hear that, but I'm afraid I did."

"Then don't say anything," I said, punching his shoulder. "Shall we go? I'm hungry."

"All right, here we go." I followed Dean to the stairs, and it startled me that he went down the stairs two steps at a time. Dean bounced on the landing, but then, he stood there, waiting for me. "Something wrong, Jane?" he asked, seeing my straight expression.

For a few moments, I had seen Dean as the Joker, except there was a difference. The Joker would have raced down all the steps before turning, and he would have done it with wild laughter.

I shook my head. "No, a thought just struck me."

"Care to share?"

I smiled at him. "You rhymed. No, I would rather keep the thought to myself." The Joker would have pursued the thought, but Dean shrugged, pushing it to the back of his mind.

I darted down the stairs, bounced on the landing, and then ran down to the bottom. It was fun, causing me to laugh as I ran. I avoided going two steps at a time though; I didn't want to steal the Joker's trick.

I reached the main floor and then stopped to wait for Dean. With his two steps at a time, he was right behind me and actually collided into me. He caught himself on the banister, and I grabbed him to avoid falling.

I burst out laughing. "Clumsy, aren't we?"

Dean looked at me, a strange expression crossing his face, before his cheerful smile returned. "I'm not as coordinated as you, Jane."

"Stick to Susan. Gordon heard you use that name."

"But Jane sounds prettier." He too a strand of my hair in his fingers, twirling it.

"Dean," I said sharply, jerking my head away.

He seemed startled, but he recovered quickly. "Are you-?" My cell phone vibrated my pocket. "Vibrating?" he finished, even though that wasn't what he was going to say.

"Sorry," I apologized, checking the number. It was unknown to me, but I picked it up anyway. "Hello?" I answered.

"_This is Shadow, correct?"_ I recognized the voice.

"Yes," I replied.

"_It's Poison Ivy. Are you available tonight?"_

"I'm not sure what my hours are."

"_That's fine. I already knew that Gordon assigned me to you. I hope you aren't planning on actually _capturing_ me."_

"If we can't come to some livable arrangement, I might have to, Red."

"_Red?"_ Poison Ivy asked.

I put my finger in my other ear as I moved away from Dean; no need to tell him how open I was with the criminal masterminds of Gotham. "You don't mind the nickname, do you? I blend in with the normal citizens."

"_I'll have to think about it. I also wanted to warn you. The Riddler didn't seem very happy with you."_

"I'm not surprised. I'll keep a lookout. Thank you, Red." I closed my cell and smiled. The Riddler thought he was tough enough to deal with me while the Joker was in jail. Oh, I wanted to laugh _in his face_.

"Who was that?" Dean asked, innocently.

I looked at him; he was such a naïve guy. "A friend from out of town. There's a chance she might come by, but she's not sure." I shrugged. "Let's go."

* * *

The two cops on watch looked uneasy as they chatted quietly while sipping their coffee. A report rested in one man's hand, and it was trembling slightly.

Nervously, they both glanced over at their top prisoner only to look away quickly.

The Joker's tongue slid over his lips slowly, wetting them. His eyes were wide, giving him a look of puppy innocence, but within their depths rested anger and exhaustion.

He hadn't slept all night. Something was nagging at him, but he wasn't sure what it was.

His leg bounced rapidly as his body came out of the stiff position he had been in throughout the night. He blinked, and tears came to his eyes. Breaking out of the trance, he moved his head, cracking his neck loudly.

The two cops looked at him again, but the Joker ignored them. He rolled his shoulders and shifted his position, wincing as his legs ached – ever the reminders of how dangerous Shadow was.

One cop came over and hit the bars with his baton. "Wakey, wakey, clown," he said, trying to sound confident.

Again, the Joker ignored him, looking past him toward the other jail cell. His men were still sleeping on the floor and the bench.

"I'm talking to you, clown," the cop growled.

"And I'm, ah, ignoring you," the Joker answered. The cop swore at him. "Nasty tongue we have this, ah, morning. Maybe you need, ah, some more coffee."

The cop moved toward the door, but his partner stopped him, speaking to him with harsh, whispered words.

The Joker grinned and turned his head away from the cops.

When was the next time Shadow would come in? He hadn't heard the hours for her to work. Maybe she was on call, nothing more. It didn't matter that much.

His hand curled into a fist. It seemed like Shadow didn't remember that she still had the chip in her ear. The Joker had heard Dean talking to her and asking her on a date. Why was she going with him? Especially when she was obviously suffering from a headache!

Anger flooded through his veins, causing his blood to boil. What right did that innocent pup have to be trying to steal Shadow from him? The Joker wanted to kill him, but he had promised Shadow that he wouldn't kill Dean…_yet_.

The Joker inhaled sharply through his flared nostrils. He would bide his time.

The boy's time had started ticking since the moment Shadow had called him "a good kid".

* * *

"You sure you can pay for this, Dean?" I asked him, trying to hide the fact that I was rubbing my forehead.

"Sure I can. Go in…unless you want me to go first," Dean teased. "I have a friend here so don't worry."

I entered with Dean just behind me. It was a nice breakfast restaurant, clean and not too busy. Dean went to the hostess and spoke to her quietly. I saw him slip her a dollar bill; I couldn't tell if it was a twenty or possibly something else.

The hostess nodded and picked up two menus. "This way," she said. She brought us to a private table, and my eyes widened with surprise. Why was Dean doing this?

Dean, seeing my surprise, only grinned at me as we sat down.

The hostess set the menus in front of us and then said, "Your server will be with you soon." She smiled at me, too widely at Dean, and then walked away.

"I _have_ to ask this," I said honestly, once the hostess had left. "Are you actually an innocent man or are you acting?"

Dean chuckled. "Do I _look_ like I'm acting?" he asked, holding out his arms.

"But you could be. You're observant."

"I've always been observant."

"Some bosses don't like observant people," I told him.

"If you are talking about my boss…" Dean's face twisted in confusion.

"Actually, I am. Mister J had a problem with the _last_ observant person. He fired him."

Dean's confusion faded. "Mr…Jay needs to relax. _I_ think he's a great boss, entertaining…fun."

"You know you must have upset him, Dean," I warned him. "I can tell he dislikes you."

"Why?"

I rolled my eyes. "Me, Dean. He doesn't like you because of me."

"What about you?"

I leaned in closer and dropped my voice into a whisper. "I'm the Joker's, Dean. You keep acting like you have a chance of claiming me, but the Joker, Mister J already placed his claim. You have the same chance as Shaun did on the poker night."

Dean's face started to turn pale. "But…that's not what I'm doing…maybe he's thinking of Shaun."

"No, he's thinking of you."

"Can't he realize that friends hang out like this all the time, but…then again, Mr. Jay probably doesn't have that many friends?"

I grabbed his shirt collar, but then noticed the appearance of our waitress. Quickly, I released Dean's shirt and leaned back.

"My name is Teresa, and I will be your server this morning," the girl said, "May I get you some drinks?"

"Coffee for me," Dean told her, and then he turned to me to see what I would order.

I blinked in astonishment. "The same," I added, hesitating.

I swear, time had slowed down. There was something about this girl that had grabbed my attention. It wasn't physically or emotionally. I felt a strange feeling in my head, where my headache had been. The girl was ordinary looking. She wore her light brown hair half clipped back; it reached to an inch or so past her shoulders. A few stray strands fell over her azure eyes, and I thought I saw irritation in those sky blue depths. She reached up a hand to brush the strands behind her ear, and that simple movement broke me from my trance.

Damn, what _was_ that?

Dean was looking at me strangely.

"Do you need a few minutes?" The girl, Teresa, sounded hesitant at that moment, like she had sensed what I had sensed. I wondered, did she have some kind of strange ability like I did? Could she shadow like me?

"Just a few," Dean answered. Teresa tore her gaze away from me, nodded to Dean, and then left.

I shook my head and then reached over the table, grabbing hold of Dean's ear tightly.

"Ow, what's that for, Susan?" he demanded.

"_Don't…insult…the Joker…in front…of…me,"_ I growled at him. "And say anything about what just happened, which I don't understand either, and I'll kill you."

"All right, I'm sorry, Susan." I twisted his ear and then pushed him away. Dean winced, rubbing his ear, which had turned a dark red. "You have a firm grip," he remarked, wincing.

"If you knew where I had com from, you would understand why," I told him, angrily.

* * *

The Joker let out a low growl. Listening to Shadow's conversation with Dean made him angry. The fact that Shadow had lowered her voice meant something. Was she hiding something from him or was she just trying to avoid being overheard?

He shifted and then looked over at his henchmen. Dean had said Shaun's name at one point. What had he said? They had both lowered their voices to speak, disabling the earphone in Shadow's ear from overhearing.

"Hey, wanna play?" Shaun asked Brian from across the room. He held a pack of cards in his hand.

"We play here and the cops will take the cards," Brian responded, dully.

"How did you hide them?" James wondered.

"Magic, my friend," Shaun said with a smug grin.

A small smile crept upon the Joker's face. "Shaun," he called in a sing-song voice.

Shaun looked up, startled. He had hid his cards in his shirt.

"Take your deck out. You, ah, wanna see a magic trick?" the Joker asked.

His henchmen looked worried, but only Peter looked calm. Then, again, it looked like Peter was asleep still.

"S-Sure, boss," Shaun said, hesitantly.

The Joker waved his hand, "summoning" a pencil from his sleeve. He placed the sharpened end on his thigh and waved his hand around it.

"I'm gonna make this pencil…_transport_."

Shaun let out a burst of laughter. "I doubt that, but since you say so-."

The Joker slammed his hand down on the pencil.

Shaun cried out in pain, his hands gripping his thigh. A pencil was sticking out of his leg, halfway in.

The Joker lifted his hand. There was no pencil in _his_ leg. "Doubting makes the trick more, ah, _believable_," the Joker said. "You doubt it and when it, ah, comes true, you're _amazed_."

As the cops rushed in, having heard Shaun's cry of pain, the Joker adjusted his pant leg, hiding his pencil that he had "dropped" into his shoe. Served Shaun right, the bastard.

The Joker glanced over at Peter who was closest to Shaun at the time. Peter looked like he was just waking up, having heard Shaun's scream.

Despite the man's frequent memory loss, he was quite useful, but to think that Shadow was easily taking his place…until Shadow was set up in her two-sided life, the Joker would have to let Peter live for the time being.

"Who had the pencil?" one cop demanded.

Brian, James, and Peter pointed at the Joker, just like they were supposed to.

The cop glanced at the Joker who had widened his eyes, making an innocent puppy look.

"I was, ah, over here," the Joker said. "Only a magician could have done that across the room."

"He said it was a magic trick," Brian urged. "He hid a pencil in his sleeve and slammed it into his thigh, transporting it into Shaun."

"You're out of your mind. Even a _clown_ like him can't do that."

The Joker grinned.

"And don't look so _proud_ of yourself," the cop yelled, turning on the Joker.

"Come in here and _stop_ me," the Joker dared.

The cop looked around, searching for any witnesses. Then, he went calmly over to the door and unlocked it. The Joker remained on the bench, waiting for the cop to walk in. He watched the cop as he rolled up his sleeves and flexed his hands.

"Come here, clown," the cop ordered.

"Clown says, ah, no," the Joker said, glancing over at the man. "Is the cop going to hurt the clown or is he going to stand there like an, ah, _idiot_?"

The cop lunged for him.

* * *

**Joker: If anyone thinks that Shadow had a _gay_ moment, I'll kill them!**

**NxS: YAY! Shadow's gal pal arrived!**

**D: And no, they are not gay. If none of you can figure out that they have something in common... *coughs* ...something's obviously wrong with you.**

**NxS: Hehehe, I can't wait 'til Teresa and Shadow get to know each other fer realzz :), hehehehe! And silly puppy should relax, Dean isn't going to hurt Shadow or anything. hehehehe...**

**Joker: Just because Shadow likes him doesn't, ah, give him a reason to _hit_ on her! She's my girl!**

**D: Again, puppy, you should relax.**

**Joker: Why do you call me that, ah, when we're in public? I have a, ah, a reputation to keep!**

**D: I'll make it official that only NxS, Shadow, possibly Teresa, and I are the only ones allowed to call you 'puppy'.**

**Joker: *grudgingly* Fine. Review, you readers.**


	31. Chapter 31

"How's everything?" Teresa asked. She had come back to check in with us, and I think she was purposefully avoiding my gaze.

"We're doing good," Dean answered, grinning at her. I rolled my eyes; was he going to start hitting on her too?

"You don't need anything else?" I caught her hand shaking. Did she suddenly not what to be near me or something? I swear, there was something about her, and I was curious. I was tempted just to say it, but since we were in public, that was obviously a no-no.

"Not now, thank you." Teresa smiled at him and moved away to her next table. From the other table, she glanced back at me, and I averted my eyes to my food. "Would you mind if I asked you a question, Susan?" Dean asked.

"Depends on the question," I told him, shoving a bit of a pancake in my mouth.

"What if it was a _personal_ question? I mean, I'll ask it, but you have the option not to answer it," he stalled while I finished with that bit and was about to start on another.

"Again, I repeat, 'depends on the question'," I replied sharply before shoving the pancake in my mouth.

"All right. How did you meet the Joker?"

I almost choked on my pancake, and I threw a glare across the table. "You have _got_ to be joking."

"I'm not." Dean had that innocent look on his face again. "You don't have to-."

"I _refuse_ to answer that, no matter who asks me."

Dean nodded, though he looked hurt. My tone had been sharp. "Sorry," he apologized. "May I try another one?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'll warn you when your questions start to annoy me, Dean," I sighed.

He grinned sheepishly. "What is it that you see in the Joker? I mean, he's _older_ than you."

I was sorely tempted to throw my knife at him. "How old do you think I am?" I demanded in a dangerously low voice.

"Early twenties?"

"Close enough. What about him?" I covered my ear with the earphone so then the Joker didn't hear Dean's guess. I didn't want to give the Joker another reason to kill the naïve man. Dean would pay for his words and actions later.

"Mid thirties?" he suggested, casually.

"_That_, Dean, was insulting!" I said in an angry whisper, very conscious of the other customers.

"I only wanted to see your reaction," he said, innocently though his smile told otherwise. "I would guess him to be thirty, actually. He has the energy of a hyperactive kid though, making him _seem_ younger."

"How much younger?" I asked nonchalantly while making sure I still had my mic covered.

"I'd say about…ten years."

"So he seems twenty, but he looks thirty."

"The way he hunches his shoulders, Susan. It's not his face or energy that make him look thirty."

I shook my head. "If he ever found out about this conversation, he'd kill you."

"The way I see it, I'm dead already. If you really are his girl…"

"Yes, I _am_ his girl. I already told you that," I said sharply, automatically removing my hand from my ear to slap him before remembering myself and covering it back up.

"I sort of doubt that," he said, his tone suggesting that what I had said was ridiculous.

"Why?" I asked a bit harsher than I meant to, offended by his tone.

"The poker night…I saw him leading you out from the back. I can already see the-."

"You're too observant," I told him, sharply. "Mister J doesn't like _observant_ henchmen."

"Maybe not," Dean said, dabbing his mouth with his napkin. "But it's my natural thin. Innocent observer, I'd suppose you'd call me."

"I'm beginning to doubt the 'innocent' part. Were you an actor before you came to Gotham?" I asked while finishing up one of my pancakes.

Dean burst out laughing. "Where did you get _that_ idea?" he asked.

I uncovered my ear; it was getting uncomfortable sitting there with my ear covered. "Maybe because you _act_…_constantly_."

"Wrong," Dean said, "I do not act all the time. I just know when to be quiet, to be loud, to be annoying, and to be _observant_."

"You know, Dean, you're lucky I like you," I told him, covering my ear again. "Otherwise, Mister J would have killed you already."

"I'm not surprised that I have an advantage."

I stepped on his foot. "I wanna ask a question now," I told him.

"Ask away," he said, grinning despite the pain in his foot. Was it just me or was he acting like the Joker on purpose? He bent under the table to rub it.

"Why did you come to Gotham?" I asked.

Dean stopped and looked at me. "I'll tell if you answer that question yourself."

"Fine, I came to Gotham looking for competition in the criminal life. With so many criminals here, I figured that I'd be quite…_entertained_." I heard clinking at the table behind us, and I wondered if Teresa was standing there.

"Did you plan on meeting the-?"

"That wasn't the question, Dean, but no, I didn't plan on meeting _him_," I cut him off before he could finish.

Dean seemed to turn a shade of green, but then, it faded into a slight red. "I'm looking for someone," he said, quietly. He sighed. "I wanted to apologize to someone I had wronged."

I couldn't speak. I hadn't been expecting such an emotional answer to my question. A wave of sympathy for Dean and for whoever he had wronged flowed through me, and I grew curious but I didn't want to push him. That was something the Joker would do, and I was thankful that I had my hand still covering my ear. No need for the Joker to know the emotional reason driving Dean.

"You're not going to press me?" Dean asked, startling me out of my thoughts.

"I'm not that kind of a person," I said, "I'm curious, but I don't press unless it's absolutely necessary." I dug back into my pancakes, nearly done with them.

"You know the saying, 'Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back'," he said while finishing off his food.

"That would only work for Catwoman," I laughed. "I'm not even close to a cat."

"Nonetheless…" Dean shifted, and he again reminded me of the Joker. "You done?"

"Yes, it was great," I said. I gave him a calculating look. Why was he acting like the Joker? This wasn't his normal way of living, surely. Or maybe I just expected every little thing about Dean to make him the Joker. Oh boy, I missed the Joker, my Heath Ledger at that moment.

Dean motioned for our waitress, and he said, "I'll have the bill."

Teresa nodded as she piled our dishes on her arm. "I'll be right back with it," she told Dean and moved away.

"Is she your friend?" I asked, curious.

"No, the hostess was, but I always have to pay her. I pay her less though." Dean grinned. "Teresa must be new."

"She did well," I remarked.

"I know she did," he replied just before Teresa returned with the bill. "You new here, Teresa?" Dean asked. Oh, he wasn't the subtle type, was he?

"No, I've been here for a month," she said politely.

"In Gotham or here."

"Both," she replied and glanced at me.

Was I hearing this correctly? She's been here for a month! She came a week after me?

"Do you like it here?" I asked as Dean dealt with the bill. I felt like this was my chance to actually talk to the girl; I couldn't miss it.

Teresa looked at me with surprise and then shrugged. "I came to help out a friend, but I realize I need help as well. Ever heard of the new criminal around here?"

She wasn't that subtle either, I realized. "The new criminal?" I asked, testing her.

"A shady figure…named after the _shadow_." On the last word, she lowered her voice.

My eyes widened. "You know about me?" I whispered.

"All criminals know one another." She winked at me. "You're not public yet, of course, not among the civilians."

Boy, we hit it off right away, didn't we? It was probably the fastest friendship I ever came across. Not even Heath's was this quick; I was shy before he broke my protective shell.

"What do you want?" I asked. I guess you couldn't really call it friendship, maybe a business relationship, but…we'll get into that.

"Just your aid…in breaking out a...friend, of mine from Arkham," she whispered and I wondered about her pause before saying 'friend'.

Dean, oblivious to the whispered conversation, pushed the bill over. Teresa gave me a look and moved away to use Dean's credit card to pay the bill. I took out a small notebook from my pocket and wrote down my code number. When Teresa came back, I slipped the paper into the bill after Dean had taken back his credit card.

Teresa caught sight of it and met my eyes. _Text_, she mouthed, and I nodded.

Dean and I stood up and thanked her for her service. Then, Dean led the way out. "What were you talking about?" he asked.

"None of your business," I snapped at him. I looked at him, daring him to press the subject, but he didn't. "Are you afraid to press a subject, Dean?"

"I'm like you. I'm not the kind of person to press unless it's necessary."

"That's one thing we have in common."

"Do you enjoy playing poker?" he asked curiously.

"I'll be honest, that was my first time playing it…well, first _night_. Yes, I thought it was fun; and to think, you helped me cheat."

"Not really, I just nudged you to get you more into the game."

"Ha, ha, don't make me laugh, Dean."

"Too late." The simple way he said it caused me to burst out laughing.

"You're not funny," I chuckled.

"I must be since you're laughing."

"C'mon, you're just hearing things, Dean." I pushed his shoulder. "You coming tonight?"

"Where?" he asked, still smiling from making me laugh but completely clueless about what I was saying.

I stopped and spun on him. "Did you forget your boss sitting in a nice little room…_behind bars_?" Then, I shook my head. "It would probably work better if you just got your buddies out of jail. I'll deal with your boss."

"The one that wants to kill me."

"Be a good boy and prove your usefulness. He just might decide to keep you." I smacked his cheek lightly. "C'mon, let's go plan the rescue of your pals."

"You're not planning for my boss."

"I already have an idea. Actually, he told me in my interview with him. Him and his_ magic trick_."

* * *

The Joker sat down on his bench, his hands cuffed in front of him. Gordon had moved him into a different cell where he was nowhere near his men. A quick interrogation with Stephens had accomplished nothing but the taking away of his "magic" pencil.

"I honestly wonder what drives you." The Joker turned his head, noticing that Gordon still stood there by the door. "Every criminal has a motive for what he or she does."

"Is mine so, ah, _obvious_ that it's hard to figure out?" the Joker asked and licked his lips. "Shall I make it something you can, ah, understand?" The Joker waited for a response, and when he didn't get it, he asked, "Do you enjoy your job, _Commissioner_?"

Gordon only stared at him wordlessly.

"You enjoy the chase of criminals, you like protecting your, ah, city. You don't like it when others try to take your city away-."

"What is your point?" Gordon asked.

"Take your enjoyment, ah, for being a cop and turn it inside out." The Joker licked his lips again quickly. "Imagine you like being chased; stealing others' belongings and keeping it for yourself. Either way, you still don't like it when people try to, ah, to take your city. Picture that enjoyment and you should be able to understand my motive, however strange it might be compared to the, ah, the other criminals'."

"Are you saying that cops and criminals have something in common?" Gordon demanded with a trace of amusement in his tone.

"I believe," the Joker began, widening his eyes to bring out a puppy look, "I did, ah, say something like that."

Suddenly, a commotion broke out on the other side of the MCU. Gunshots went off, and people yelled for order. Gordon motioned for the two officers to guard the Joker before he ran back.

The Joker felt a cool touch on his neck. He shifted as he cocked his head to the side, nuzzling Shadow's hand. A soft chuckle echoed just above his head as her other hand ran through his hair.

"Another of your attempts to get out, clown," one officer said. "Like the other, this one will fail."

The Joker jerked his head in the officer's direction. "How do you, ah, know if it's _my_ attempt? I'm right here, not over there." Shadow slipped her arms around his neck, her hands sliding into his shirt and caressing his chest. The Joker's hands rubbed against one another; a giddy energy flooded through him. It took all of his self-control to keep from revealing that he wasn't alone.

"Stop, Shadow," he murmured without moving his lips.

Shadow chuckled near his ear. "Can't take it?" she asked, quietly. She buried her face in his neck.

He twitched, unable to contain the electrifying energy coasting through him.

Shadow laughed at him. She slid a hand down the side of his face. "We shouldn't have those officers remain conscious, should we?" Her shadowy touch lifted, and a chilling shiver ran down the Joker's spine.

The Joker turned his head in time to see one of the officers drop as if he had been hit hard on the head. Only a second passed and the second officer was down.

Then, Shadow appeared, and she was wearing the Joker's purple jacket.

"The cameras," the Joker pointed out.

"Don't worry," Shadow told him, bending down to retrieve the keys to the jail cell. "It's all well dealt with. This one I planned out everything."

"So what about, ah, my magic trick?"

"I decided against that. We'll save it for better fish, like Gordon or Batman." Shadow skipped over to the door and stuck the first key in. "Give me a number from one to ten and tell me either right or left."

"Why?" the Joker asked, curiously.

"Just do it, Mister J," Shadow snapped.

The Joker raised an eyebrow, not like she could see it since his eyebrow was covered with the black around his eyes. "Seven, right."

Shadow counted seven keys to the right of the one she had first used. She stuck it into the key lock and turned it. The lock clicked.

"You're quite a lucky guy, Mister J." Shadow opened the door and stood there, waiting. "C'mon, puppy dog, get the handcuffs off."

"I'm, ah, not performing this time."

"Fine, get over here so I can release you," she said while rolling her eyes.

The Joker jumped to his feet and bounced over, only to slam into Shadow, pressing his lips to hers.

"You're such a lovestruck _loser_," Shadow laughed, pulling away and then grabbing his handcuffs. "Did you really miss me _that_ much?"

"I thought I was, ah, gonna die."

"Highly unlikely. No need to be dramatic." As the Joker's handcuffs clicked, Shadow looked up at him and grinned. "Oh, I forgot, actors are _naturally_ dramatic."

The Joker shook off the handcuffs, and Shadow caught them before they landed on the floor. "Right you are," the Joker giggled. He reached out to grab her, but Shadow easily evaded him.

"Not yet," she told him as he gave her a puppy look. She went over to one of the officers and snapped the Joker's handcuffs on him. Shadow did the same with another pair from the other's belt.

"Can we go now?" the Joker begged.

Shadow glanced at him. "Impatient, are we?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You can wait a few more minutes, Mister J." She brought her watch up to her mouth and pushed a side button. "You got the others out?"

"_Affirmative_," a voice responded, _"You have-?"_

"Don't worry about him," Shadow snapped. "Focus on your pals and make sure not to get caught." She exhaled, irritated.

The Joker decided not to push her. She was already irritated with him.

"All right, puppy," Shadow said, turning to face him. She held out her arms. "C'mon, we're going now."

The Joker bounced forward, and Shadow spun out of his hug, slipping behind him and grabbing him around the waist. Less than a second later, they were in Shadow's apartment.

* * *

**D: So funny story. I have a little sister who tends to bother me whenever I'm writing or doing something that obviously doesn't include her-.**

**Joker: I offered to, ah, **_**replace**_** her.**

**NxS: And **_**who**_** would you replace her **_**with**_**?**

**Joker: *shrugs* Someone, obviously.**

**NxS: *rolls eyes*  
**

**D: I told you to leave my sister alone. Anyway, back to my little story…my sister reads the part when the name MCU happens to be, and for some reason, my 'U's look like 'V's to her so she was like, "M…C…V? What's that supposed to be? Is it short for something? Like…Microwave Common Vehicles?" I thought it was funny.**

**NxS: That is funny hehehe.  
**

**Joker: You find everything funny.**

**D: Not lately *glares at him* **_**Somebody**_** keeps running off with my story notebook and locking himself in a random room.**

**Joker: You deserve it!**

**NxS: *smacks his nose* Bad puppy! How many times have I told you to be nice to your 'owner'?**

**Joker: She's, ah, **_**not**_** my owner! Heath Ledger – my bff! – Jack Nicholson, and Bob Kane own me. And seeing as only one of the three is alive still…I wish it was, ah, Heath though… *sigh*  
**

**D: Don't cry, Joker, you have a public here. Cry later. There are people like **Sinario**, who can't stand you crying cause it makes you soft.**

**Joker: I still, ah, don't like you, **Sinario**.**

**D: Don't worry, I like you, **Sinario**. And I'd ask Shadow, but she's still not here. And I'll let NxS speak for herself.**

**NxS: I'm totally cool with **Sinario**. Puppy's just too sensitive. Anyhoo, YAY FOR MORE GAL PAL! *dances around happily***

**D: But yeah, **Sinario**, Shadow's rhyme thing...take what Dean said: "Care to share?" Look at 'care' and 'share'. Say them and see if they rhyme to you.**

**NxS: Keep up the reviews!**


	32. Chapter 32

Upon returning to my apartment, I released the Joker and walked into the kitchen, rubbing my temples. Retrieving an ice pack from the freezer, I leaned against the counter, pressing the ice to my throbbing forehead and closing my eyes.

I heard a shuffling of feet, and I sighed. "What do you want, Heath?"

He hesitated. "You're, ah, upset."

"You must have noticed that sooner," I snapped, irritated.

"What did that, ah, Dean boy do?"

I opened my eyes and glared at him. "I have nothing but friendship with Dean. I don't understand how you can be jealous of him. You have _no competition_!"

The Joker scowled. "There's something about that boy that I, ah, don't like."

"You don't like him only because I asked you not to kill him," I snapped. My irritation began to sizzle into anger. I placed the ice pack on the counter. "I put a barrier between you and Dean, didn't I? It's a rule, one you're _longing _to break. Is it difficult for your unhinged mind to take in the fact that there is no one else I would fall in love with?"

"_Unhinged?_" I stepped along the counter as the Joker moved forward. His eyes burned with anger, and with his hunched shoulders, it looked like he was about to attack me. "Who's the insane one, Sara? You're the one who is heading off for a disaster like Harvey Dent!"

"Why is everyone referring to Harvey Dent? I don't know what happened to Dent," I spat, angrily.

The Joker leaped at me, but I ducked away, coming up behind him. He spun and hit me. I whirled away, a hand on my stinging cheek and the other in his jacket pocket, which I was still wearing.

"Going to use, ah, my blades against me, Sara?" the Joker demanded, stalking toward me.

"I got you out of jail for _this_," I hissed, clicking open his switchblade. "Why don't we see if your nerves will _feel_ the reopening of your _mouth_?"

The maddog growled at me, literally. I only glared at him, preparing to defend myself once he came close enough. Burning fury raced through me as the Joker continued to stalk me around the kitchen.

"C'mon, Tiger," the Joker pressured. "C'mon and _hit me_ with all you've got!"

My eyes narrowed. I wasn't facing the Joker at that moment; I was facing Heath. My mind had switched the two, as if it didn't want me hurting either of them.

The Joker lunged at me, catching me off guard. He slapped aside my armed hand, his switchblade sliding across the floor. The Joker knocked me into the refrigerator, and a different knife from his jacket pocket appeared in his hand.

"What if we just see how _you_ react to pain, Sara?" the Joker demanded, putting the knife in my mouth.

My anger vanished, seeing the pure fury in his eyes. Paralyzing fear flooded through me, and I started crying. "Please, Heath, don't…" I pleaded in a fading voice.

The Joker released me, and I slid to the floor, my legs being unable to hold my weight.

"I must be insane," I cried. "I let you hurt me; I let you get away. I try to fight back, but you only turn around and hurt me again. This isn't like the relationship I had dreamed of when I was little."

Through my blurred vision, I saw the Joker take several steps back; knocking into the kitchen counter like he didn't realize it was there.

"I don't know what happened to you, Heath," I whispered. "You've changed too much." I curled up and hugged my knees tightly, burying my face. "I don't understand."

"You said yourself that, ah, we needed to form a relationship where we could hurt one another without hesitation," he answered, quietly.

"This _isn't_ what I _meant!_" I yelled at him, roughly rubbing the tears out of my eyes. Then, I held my head as the throbbing suddenly grew worse. "I need to get out of here…"

I don't know how he moved so fast, but the Joker was there with his arms wrapped around me tightly. I leaned into him, laying my head on his chest. The pain in my head lessened as I nuzzled into the Joker's chest, feeling one of his hands reach out and stroke my hair.

"I didn't mean for us to hurt one another for the fun of it," I murmured.

"What _did_ you, ah, mean then, Shadow?" he asked, and I was surprised he could hear what I said. Then, I remembered the earpiece in my ear.

"I meant it for us to be able to hurt one another when necessary…" I shuddered as I remembered how I had shoot him in the leg when he wouldn't get out of the way so then I had a clear shot to Bob.

We sat there for several minutes in silence. My headache continued to throb, being painful for a few moments and then dulling before coming back. I whimpered every time the throbbing got worse, and finally, the Joker got up to get the ice pack, returning to press the ice against my forehead. I remained in his hands, shivering as the ice took affect on my forehead, dulling the headache. I knew I needed to focus on something else, and the first thing I did was listen to the Joker's heartbeat.

It was so comforting; the steady beat of his heart. He was so calm and comfortable, sitting there. At that moment, I didn't think of him as the Joker; this was the Heath that I remembered, being there while I had a loner attack. He'd sit there silently, just holding me to stop me from hurting myself. He was just a good kid.

Finally, I looked up at him, placing the ice pack on the floor. "What are you thinking?" I asked him.

"I've, ah, decided you look good in purple," he replied, bluntly.

The suddenness of the statement made me crack up.

"I'm serious," the Joker insisted. "Purple goes with the shadows."

"I'm not going to copy you," I said, amused.

"You have, ah, my permission nonetheless."

"As if I needed it in the first place." I pulled out of his arms and climbed to my feet, grabbing the ice pack. I threw the pack back into the fridge and when I looked, the Joker still sat on the floor. "What are you doing?" I asked him, seeing his eyes roaming.

"Admiring you," he answered, plainly.

I grinned and twirled, feeling his jacket bellow out around me. The Joker burst out laughing, and he clapped his hands like some amused kid. I stopped and admired myself in his signature jacket. I _did_ look good in purple.

"It looks better on you, Heath," I said softly, looking over at him.

"No, I, ah, actually think the _color_ fits you, Sara," he countered, playfully.

I shrugged off his purple jacket and threw it at him. "I'm going to bed."

Of course, my cell phone rang at that moment.

"I don't, ah, think so, Sara," the Joker teased, throwing his jacket back at me. I caught it with one hand while I reached for my cell.

"Hello?" I said without looking at the number.

"_Sorry, Jane."_ It was Gordon. _"Can you swing by the MCU? The Joker's escaped, the same with his men."_

"I hope you're not suspecting Dean. He was with me all day," I said, trying to sound indignant at the thought.

"_Not now?" _he asked, gently.

"Darn," I murmured.

"_What?"_

"I just left him five minutes ago." It was surprisingly true, almost. I had left him eight minutes ago. Eight, five, there's only three minutes of a difference. "And I thought my case was Poison Ivy." I still had to have a chat with her...

"_It's the sudden disappearance of the Joker, Jane,"_ Gordon said, effectively keeping me focused on the conversation.

"The cameras didn't catch it?" I asked casually, trying to sound incredulous.

"_All the files are gone. You said you were good with computers."_

"All right, I'll head on down."

"_Be careful. He might be after you again,"_ Gordon warned, genuinely worried.

"I know." I hung up and then moved into the next room to my laptop. Without thinking, I flung the Joker's jacket unto my bed as I sat down. I took a flashdrive out from my pocket and plugged it into my computer.

"You and computers, eh? Since when?"

"I learned a great deal from books and experimenting," I told the Joker.

"What, ah, are you going?" He leaned over, looking over my shoulder.

"Editing your latest video," I said, "Watch and learn." It was the film from the MCU cameras that I was editing. I took out me and the Joker's reaction to me. I changed what he said and what the officers did. The Joker watched me at work, but he soon grew bored with just watching. Still leaning over me, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck and face, whatever he could reach without covering my vision of the computer.

"You're such a sexual loser," I told him when I had finished. Editing the video was quick since I had limited time to get to the MCU. The Joker wasn't happy when all I gave him was a kiss before I grabbed my own jacket and flashdrive and shadowed to the MCU.

"Where are your computers?" I asked Gordon as I walked into the building. He led me into the tech room and boy, did I wish I could work there. I sat down at the main computer and popped in the flashdrive. "May I see the scene while it transfers?" I asked.

"Transfers what?" Gordon demanded.

"Transfers the program that will seek the original film." That was a complete lie, but for some reason, it didn't bother me. It protected me and the Joker; that had to why.

Then again, Gordon never asked me to promise not to lie to him.

The police hadn't moved anything, except the two officers.

"They had been handcuffed," Gordon said.

"Who?" I asked. He was testing to see if I knew that he set two guards on the Joker. He wasn't going to catch me with something like _that_.

"The two officers I left with the Joker."

"Too bad you can't get robots to guard the Joker. I can imagine him pressing the officers' buttons to anger them." I looked about the area. The keys to the cell were where I had dropped them, by the cell door.

"What do you think, Detective?" Gordon asked.

"I'd go by what I said about the Joker. He pushed their buttons, made them come closer to his cell, hit them hard enough to knock them out, and then stole one set of keys." I shrugged and turned to him. "What about you, Commissioner?"

"If you got everything right, I will believe both you and the Joker," Gordon said. "It would be like you can read his mind."

"I doubt that, but possibly, I could anticipate his next move." Again, I shrugged to show that I wasn't that confident. "Let's go back."

"It works _that_ fast?" Gordon asked, surprised.

"During my free time, I'm an inventor, Gordon. Everything I make only works for me though; that's how I code things." We returned to the tech room where a pop-up said: _Done_.

I clicked on the video as Gordon pulled up a chair. It was difficult to keep myself from smiling.

We watched as Gordon left the camera view, probably running towards the commotion. The Joker spoke to the officers, but he spoke too quietly for the camera to hear. I cursed myself silently; the Joker would have been loud for attention.

"You've caused enough trouble, clown boy," one officer said.

"If this is another of yours attempts, you surely will fail," the other added, confidently.

"So sure, are you?" the Joker asked. He stood up and approached the bars. "Well, cop boy, come over here and let's have a, ah, a fight over it." Then, the Joker looked thoughtful. "Have I seen, ah, you somewhere? Or maybe it was a brother or father at Gotham General Hospital. He didn't, ah, suffer, that's for sure."

The younger cop lunged at him, forgetting about the bars. As he slammed into the metal bars, the Joker slipped out of his handcuffs, and reaching through the bars, he wrapped them around the cop's neck, turning him around so then he could choke him.

"Let him go," the other cop ordered, pulling out his weapon and drawing it on the Joker's head.

"Put the gun down, and I'll, ah, think about it," the Joker replied. When the free cop didn't drop his gun, the Joker jerked back the handcuffs, choking his victim. "I mean it," the Joker said, seriously. He slid his tongue over his lips as the cop placed the gun on the floor.

The Joker reacted quickly. From a different point of view – a different camera – Gordon and I saw the Joker grab his victim's keys unlock the handcuffs and snapped them around a bar. Before the other cop could react, the Joker held his victim's weapon.

"Move, ah, for the gun and you can say 'goodbye' to the world," the Joker giggled.

He proceeded out of jail from there, knocking the two cops down, and after retrieving his jacket, he handcuffed both of them. The Joker went out the back door.

Gordon stopped the video. "He didn't take the tape," he said, plainly.

"One of his men could have hid it," I suggested. "Then again, I don't know how protected your system is."

Gordon took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "That clown always gets out," he sighed.

"Maybe you shouldn't set physical guards. He has a way with words that tends to trick people into coming to him. He's insane, but intelligent," I said nonchalantly.

Gordon was shaking his head, wearily. He seemed to be listening to me and thinking of something different. "If he's that intelligent…" Gordon turned to me sharply with the most serious expression I've ever seen. "What about the handcuffs? He keeps slipping out of them. Are you good with inventing?"

"Yes." I knew where _this_ was going. "Gordon, I've told you this already. You shouldn't trust me this fully. Especially when I knew the Joker personally-."

"That's why I trust your judgment, Jane."

"Commissioner…" I rubbed my forehead as my headache returned. As I tried to concentrate, the throbbing interrupted my thoughts. "Fine," I sighed, giving in. "I'll try to make a set of handcuffs he can't slip out of."

We spent half an hour analyzing the tapes. My headache grew worse as time went by, and Gordon asked me if I was alright.

"Go home, Jane," he said, finally, "You're probably tired."

I thanked him and then asked, "Could I bring home a few pairs of handcuffs? The Joker could have gotten old ones."

Gordon nodded.

I returned to my apartment with a bag of handcuffs. I expected the Joker to jump me, but when I went into my living room, there I found him.

The Joker had collapsed on the couch, sleeping soundly, in his clothes again. A leg and arm hung over the side while his other arm was draped over his face.

I shook my head. His warpaint had smudged my pillow along with his jacket sleeve.

I went to lay down on my bed. My body ached for sleep, but my mind raced. I tried closing my eyes, but I felt dizzy, like the bed was moving underneath me.

At eleven, I gave up, having laid there for an hour and not falling asleep. I went back into the living room and stole the Joker's clothing. They were stiff with sweat and dirt; they needed a wash. I covered the Joker with a blanket before I shadowed to a nearby Laundromat with his and my clothing.

I took three washing machines, turning them on and getting them to work by putting in a quarter each.

I shadowed back to the apartment and took the bag of handcuffs into my room. Taking out a pair, I returned to the Laundromat to clip them on my wrists. The first thing I could do was try to figure out the Joker's "magic trick".

Trying to slid my hands out didn't work. No matter how I twisted my hands, I couldn't get out.

I didn't bother taking the handcuffs off when the washing machines were done. After throwing the clothes into dryers, I went back to getting out of the cuffs.

I figured I could ask the Joker, but knowing him, he would say something along the lines of "a magician never reveals his secrets". By the time our clothes were dry, I was irritated, had a pounding headache, and _still_ hadn't gotten the stupid things off.

Upon returning to my apartment, I threw the Joker's suit on a nearby chair and went to change into my pajamas, which only consisted of a pair of light pants and a tank. I had to take off the cuffs with the key to change, but once I was changed, I put them back on.

I lay on my back, still trying to handcuffs. The Joker must've had something on him, a paperclip maybe. How he managed to get away with it on him was a mystery and probably would remain that way.

I finally threw my hands up in frustration. I reached over to my nightstand where I had placed the key, but my hands couldn't find it. Lifting myself up, I looked. It wasn't there.

"Heath," I exhaled, exasperated. When he didn't answer, I groaned and rolled off the bed. I went into the living room to see if he was there.

The Joker still lay on the couch, and the blanket was still on him.

Now, I was confused. Did I just forget to grab the key before I went into my room? No, I had it in my room when I changed my clothes. Maybe it fell off the nightstand?

I returned to my room and switched on the light. The key rested on the floor. I rolled my eyes as I picked it up and turned it in the cuffs.

The key didn't work.

Then, the light shut off.

I only had time to look up and say, "What the…" before he attacked me from behind.

My head hit the nightstand, and I whimpered. Heath, however, was giggling.

"You could've, ah, _shadowed_, Shadow," he giggled.

"Not when I have a headache," I snapped at him. "This is how you treat me after I washed your clothes for you?"

"Don't need to, ah, get sore, Sara-."

"_Don't_, Joker!" I growled, cutting him off.

The Joker hopped away from me, knowing that I clearly blamed him. I picked myself up from the floor, rubbing where I had hit my head as I sat down on the bed's edge.

"Why are, ah, you wearing handcuffs?" the Joker asked, carefully.

"I was trying to see how you got out," I snapped. I didn't like him that much at that moment. My headache was bad enough without a bump on top of it.

He shook his head as he turned the light back on. The Joker had put on his pants so he was only bare-chested. He reached inside his pants and pulled out his pocket. A paperclip was pinned into the pocket. Pulling out the other pocket, the Joker revealed a key-shaped _thing_. It was thinner than a credit card so you could have hid it in your wallet.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," I said, "Something as _simple_ as _that._"

"That, or the cops are, ah, morons and don't put the things on tight enough." I stared at him, dead serious, and he actually took a step back. No joke, no giggle, no bounce, not even a "why so serious". The Joker was scared!

I looked away, inhaling and exhaling sharply. When I had calmed, I glanced at him, meeting his hurt puppy look. I don't know _what_ I saw in the look, but I found it funny.

A smile cracked on his face, and he returned to his natural, bouncy self. He leaped at me, knocking me over onto the bed.

"Mind showing me how you use the paperclip and other thing?" I asked, laughing as he climbed on top of me.

"Maybe, ah, some other time, Shadow," the Joker said. He licked his lips as he explained, "I have a _better_, ah, idea."

I laughed as he bent down to kiss me. "What 'bout the cuffs? You gonna take advantage of your prisoner?" I teased.

"You put on the handcuffs," he pointed out, but he used the correct key to unlock them. Then, the Joker started giggling.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said and then pressed his lips to mine. I turned my head to the side after liaughing into the kiss, and the Joker proceeded to kiss me up and down my neck and face.

"Aw, Mistah J…so sexually _frustrated_," I giggled. "The poor puppy couldn't take it any longer."

"You're just too, ah, _irresistible_," the Joker murmured he reached for my tank top. I laughed, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him passionately.

* * *

**D: So** Sinario**, NxS and I **_**just**_** realized what you meant by "Powah to the Goblins". We love Labyrinth too; it just took us several weeks to figure it out.**

**Joker: You two, ah, have no life.**

**D: I'm proud of it.**

**NxS: Ditto to that! Pfft, and if we did have lives, who, exactly, would be writing this story and beta-ing it? Hmmm??  
**

**Shadow: Hey, guys, I'm b-!**

**Joker: *slams into her, kissing her, they both fall over onto the ground***

**D: Aw, the poor puppy missed his shadow.**

**NxS: He still owes me a kiss and hug.**

**D: Don't say that out loud. You know Shadow's not going to like that.**

**NxS: You can have Teresa distract her in the next chapter.**

**D: *glances at Joker and Shadow* Oh, geez, guys, GO INTO ANOTHER ROOM!**

**Joker: *laughing* Your virgin, ah, eyes can't **_**take**_** it?**

**D: It's bad enough that my mind lost its innocence back in seventh grade. Ruined the rest of my life!**

**Joker: All right, Shadow, let's go. *they **_**shadow**_** away giggling***

**D: *rubs eyes* I hate it when they do that.**

**NxS: Puppy will feel _so_ much better now. He's been sexually frustrated for _too_ long. *giggles and hums 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'*  
**

**D&NxS: Keep reviewing! We love you all!**


	33. Chapter 33

I burst out laughing, making my last move. "Checkmate, Mistah J. I win!"

I sat on the couch, leaning back from the chessboard between the Joker and I. We had gotten dressed in our "work clothes, his suit being his everyday wear. The Joker sat, with his leg bouncing up and down, on a chair across from me. Over his head, I could see my wall clock. A quarter to three in the afternoon.

The Joker double-checked the chessboard and heaved a deep sigh…and then started giggling. "Indeed, ah, you did," he chuckled. "What do I owe you?"

"Two things," I answered, holding up two fingers.

"The deal was, ah, only _one_!"

"Starting now, it's two." I grinned. "Didn't ya know that rulebreakers sometimes _change_ the rules too?"

The Joker gave me a fake glare, causing me to start laughing again. A grin spread across his scarred lips. "All right, Shadow, what are your _two_ things?"

"One," I said, dropping a finger, "You'll like this one. Come give me a kiss."

"_Again?"_ The Joker laughed, bouncing to his feet and over to me. He bent down and kissed me, holding it for as long as he could. It only lasted about twenty seconds, but it was long enough to dazzle me. "What might be, ah, the second one, Shadow?" the Joker pressed. "Another kiss…or another lovegame?" he asked, suggestively.

"Very funny," I said, hitting his chest. He laughed and sat back down. "The second one, depending on how _attached_ you are to the specific object, might be something you won't like."

"Try me," the Joker dared, licking his lips.

"All right, I _will_. The second thing is your switchblade."

The immediate response was amusing. The Joker's smile vanished instantly, and his laughter cut off sharp.

"You're not joking, are you?"

"No, I'm not," I giggled. "Hand it over. You can't refuse; that's one of the rules."

"Then, ah, I change that one," he said dismissively, as if that would make me drop it.

I shook my head. "Only the winner can change the rules. Hand over the switchblade."

The Joker slowly pulled it out of his pocket, twirling it in his hands. He kept it closed as he rotated it, and his eyes met mine. It was so obvious that he favored the switchblade over all his knives. The only time I've seen him use a different knife was last night when I had dropped his switchblade.

I rolled my eyes, growing impatient with him. "Turning it in your hands and staring at me are not going to make me change my mind. Don't make me come over there, Heath."

A smile slipped onto his scarred mouth. "Come and, ah, get it, Sara," he teased.

"No," I snapped, "Hand it over!"

"Fight me, ah, for it!"

I growled as I threw myself over the table at him. The Joker bounced up and caught me, laughing as he changed my momentum. We crashed onto the floor with him crushing me.

"Jerk," I yelled, and he howled with laughter as he sat on my chest, still twirling his closed switchblade. "You're so unfair, Heath."

"C'mon, Shadow, stop, ah, complaining," the Joker giggled. "I'm being, ah, as fair as you were last night. Such a ferocious tiger."

"Funny to think a dog, a maddog actually, dares to tumble with a tiger. It's a dog and a cat."

He slid his tongue over his lips. "You're better than, ah, the cat, Tiger." The Joker leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "Besides, ah, you told me that I had thrown all caution away when I first _touched_ you."

I rolled my eyes. "My tongue slips when I'm busy…especially with you."

"Are you, ah, _blushing_?"

I reached for his switchblade, but he raised it out of my reach.

"My dear Shadow, you're _blushing_," the Joker giggled.

"Are you enjoying this?" I demanded.

He laughed. "What a, ah, a _stupid_ question, Tiger. I _always_ enjoy having an advantage over you."

"More than the bat?" I asked, irritated.

The Joker scowled. "Leave him out of this," he growled.

"You're not happy with him, are you? Just because he knocked you out."

He grabbed my chin roughly, placing his face right in front of mine. Since he had taken a shower, he had washed off his warpaint, and without it, he still managed to look menacing. "I said, ah, to leave him out of this."

"I'm sorry, Heath," I apologized. "Will you forgive me?"

The Joker straightened, tapping his cheek with his switchblade. "Maybe if you promise to, ah, to give me another _tumble_ within the week."

I burst out laughing. "Are you sexually frustrated already? Did you not get it all out last night? Did I not satisfy you enough?"

"I didn't say, ah, right _now_," the Joker pointed out. Then, he licked his lips. "However, I wouldn't mind if it was now."

I shook my head. "You'll overuse this promise, won't you?" I demanded, switching the subject.

He giggled and kissed my nose. "Of course, Shadow."

"Fine, I'll promise if you give me the switchblade."

The Joker took my hand and slapped the knife into it. The abruptness surprised me.

"You really want me to give me that promise, don't you?"

"I'd take you over, ah, my switchblade _any_ day."

I smiled. "I'm touched…but not convinced."

The Joker's smile slipped slightly. "What, ah, do I have to do to convince you that, ah, I'm telling the truth?"

"There's quite a number of things you could do, but you have to figure out what they are by yourself. And I require one of them now."

"As if _tumbling _you last night didn't, ah, prove anything," he murmured. He kissed my lips softly and then climbed off me. I reached up, and the Joker grabbed my hands. As he pulled, I dug my heels into the carpet and yanked on his arms.

With a howl of laughter, I pulled him back onto the ground. He managed to catch himself before all of his weight landed on me. Hovering over me, the Joker watched me as I laughed at his too-serious expression.

"C'mon, Mistah J, lighten up," I teased him. "Put a smile on your face." I reached up and touched his scars lightly. He jerked away, his puppy eyes wide with surprise, but the Joker relaxed as I fingered his scars again. "Ya know, Mistah J, I basically, um, told you what I, ah, required." I was having trouble speaking. The feel of the scarred tissue was unique, and it made my fingertips tingle. My touch had a startling affect on the Joker as well.

He closed his eyes and sighed as I traced his scars, forming a smile. As I watched, his reaction, I saw his hunched shoulders slump. His head dropped, and his hands, placed next to my head on either side, clawed at the carpet. The reaction was so odd, so puppylike…this couldn't be the Joker's ultimate weakness, could it?

"Stop," he snapped, jerking away from my touch, "Don't _ever_ touch my scars unless I give you permission, got that?" He was furious, so mad that he didn't pause with an 'ah'.

I only gave him a nod. I was afraid that if I said anything, he'd bite me.

The Joker's eyes narrowed, focusing only on me. "Do it again."

"What?" He had spoken in a whisper so I wasn't sure if I had heard him correctly.

"Do it again," he murmured, nuzzling my hand that I still held up. I slid a finger along his right scar, over his lips, and up his left scar.

His whole body shivered, and he shook his head like a dog shaking off water. The Joker opened his eyes, and his infamous Glasgow smile appeared on his face. He bounced to his feet and grabbed my hands to pull me up. I didn't have time to dig my heels into the carpet before he pulled me to my feet, yanking me into a tight embrace.

Pressed against me, I swear I could feel the jittering energy pulsing through him. The Joker nuzzled my neck. "You, ah, gonna promise yet, Shadow?"

I giggled as his nose tickled me underneath my chin. "I promise, Mistah J." He laughed into my neck before coming up to kiss me passionately.

"You got the switchblade, and I got, ah, your promise to _tumble _me later this week."

"I'm sure you're satisfied now."

"No, actually," the Joker said. He twirled me and then pushed me onto the couch. I started laughing, expecting him to jump on me. When he didn't follow, I stared at him, confused. He giggled at my expression.

"Do I amuse you?"

"Always have, ah, always will." The Joker put on a little performance like he was an expert pianoist. He placed a hand on his abdomen and dipped into a bow. I laughed, clapping to play the audience. The Joker grinned, and he bounced to his chair, flipping out his jacket before sitting down.

He turned the chessboard around so then the white faced me. "You, ah, go first this time," the Joker said.

"The stakes?" I asked, edging closer.

"I get a, ah, a kiss from you before we start." Laughing, I leaned over the table and gave him the kiss he wanted. "And the winner gets to choose two things. That's, ah, the deal."

"I'm fine with that," I agreed. After we set up the pieces, I made the first move.

"So, ah, Shadow." His tone warned me that he wanted something.

"What?" I sighed.

The Joker looked at me, offended. "I give you, ah, all this attention and then when I want to, ah, to know something, you sigh and talk to me like _that_?"

"I'm sorry, Mistah J. What is it that you want to know?" I struggled not to laugh and managed to look both contrite and curious.

He tilted his head to the side, tucking in his chin and sucking on the inside of his cheek. To complete the look, he widened his eyes to bring out the puppy in him.

"How _old_ are you?" I demanded, trying not to laugh again.

"Four," he answered, seriously.

"You're definitely a puppy."

"You, ah, love me anyway."

I smiled. "What do you want, Mistah J?"

"You."

"_Other_ than me."

He moved his knight. "Who's, ah, Teresa?"

I bit my lip, remembering that my mic had been in there that entire conversation, and yet it was still in my ear even then. What was I going to tell him? The truth, obviously, but how much of it?"

"A new friend," I responded, making my move.

"C'mon, I want, ah, more detail than _that_," the Joker pressed, moving his next piece.

I sighed. If Heath had grown up to be a cop – however _funny_ that might have been – he could early have criminals on their knees, sobbing and spilling what they knew, _every little detail_.

There was _no_ point refusing the Joker when he wanted something. He would get it one way or another. I just wanted to avoid his _hard_ way.

"She needs my help getting a friend out of Arkham."

"I, ah, heard that part."

"So what's she to you?"

"Arkham is the _last_ place, ah, I want to see you."

A smile spread on my face. "Aww, the puppy _cares_."

"Of course I care, Shadow!" he snapped, slamming a fist down on the table, causing me to jump with surprise.

Then, I heard something vibrate. I looked around for my cell, patting my pockets, but I didn't have it.

The Joker held it up. I sniffed; he probably took it when he had me on the floor a few minutes ago, while I had felt his scars. He was so tricky!

The Joker glanced at the cell and then flipped it open. "Text?" he asked, amused, "Since when did you, ah, use _text_?"

"Stop teasing me," I snapped, holding out my hand.

He kissed my hand before giving me my cell.

"Jerk," I murmured, opening the text. It read: _I'll pick u up at 3. ur apartment. Black BMW._ Another straightforward person, why did I _always_ get those? I sighed as I texted my response of "_ok_".

"What's up?" the Joker asked.

"She's picking me up at three." I looked at the clock. "In three minutes…"

"C'mon, I want to, ah, to finish this game."

"All right." I shifted as I put my cell into my pocket. "Who's turn?"

"Yours," he laughed. "Go, go!" I looked at him to see the Joker bouncing in his chair. Boy, was he excited! I made my move, and he went right after me.

I wondered if the Joker had his whole scheme set in stone. Glancing at the board, I memorized it and then made my next move.

The Joker nearly knocked the table over by moving his rook.

I grinned. So…he was speeding things up. He really wanted to finish this game before Teresa picked me up. So be it.

It proceeded to be a speed game. The Joker and I literally made our moves a second or two after one another. I was the only one who occasionally stumbled and took longer than three seconds. Then, the Joker would growl at me in frustration until I made my move.

Finally, when the clock struck three, the Joker jumped to his feet, threw his hands in the air, and practically screamed, "I win!"

"Yeah, and I gotta go," I said, standing up.

"Tut, tut, not, ah, yet," the Joker disagreed, pushing me back on the couch. He bent down on his knees next to me, clapping his hands on mine. "I haven't, ah, gotten my two objects."

I rolled my eyes.

"Hey!" the Joker protested, smacking my cheek playfully. "I'll, ah, have _none_ of that."

"What are your two things, Heath?" I asked.

He grinned.

"Don't tell me it's another kiss."

The Joker shook his head. "One, you'll like, but the other, ah, not so much."

"What are they?"

He cleared his throat as he bounced to his feet. The Joker shrugged off his jacket and threw it over my shoulders. "You, ah, get to wear my jacket. That's the first."

"I can't wear it while-."

He slapped a hand over my mouth. "I'm, ah, not done yet. The second thing is, ah, you can't take the jacket off until I say so and if someone asks you about it, you have to, ah, to _tell the truth_."

"That's not _fair_!" I practically yelled at him.

"Those are the rules, Shadow," the Joker giggled. "And what I mean by 'the truth' is, ah, that you got the jacket from your best friend _and_ boyfriend, the Joker."

"More like _husband_ at this point," I growled.

The Joker pouted. "No, I disagree. Husband and wife, it's too, ah, too _binding_."

I couldn't help but smile at that. "We just have a rather…_active_ relationship."

The Joker nodded as a car horn sounded from outside. He clapped his hands together and said, "Well, don't, ah, keep the impatient woman waiting, Shadow."

Then, an idea struck me, and a wide smile stretched across my face. "Are you good with computes?"

The Joker tilted his head curiously. "Yeah."

"Then, you can come with me tonight, for fun and excitement."

* * *

**D: Hello, dear readers! I'm still loving the reviews. *Joker walks into the room, carrying something in his arms* What are you holding?**

**Joker: *glares as he pets what's in his arms***

**D: Is that **Sinario**'s cat?**

**Joker: *rolls eyes* Who else's cat would I, ah, catnap? Besides, she's a, ah, a **_**darling**_**.**

**D: Where's Shadow?**

**Joker: Somewhere…**

**NxS: *steals the cat away from him and smacks his nose* Go ahead and tell her, you naughty puppy! It's bad enough that you refuse to talk to her lately. *pets cat fondly*  
**

**Joker: She deserves the, ah, the silence treatment. She's been paying more attention to, ah, to her new MP3 rather than the story!**

**NxS: Not after the other day where I was over her house. *giggles*  
**

**D: *facepalms* I wrote two whole chapters that day because my beta was sitting on my bed and staring at me, berating me to get a chapter done so she could read it. My beta reader is so abusive…**

**NxS: You make it sound like I beat you! I just encouraged you with persuasive wording to finish up chapters so I could read them :)! *still petting **Sinario**'s cat***

**Joker: I remember, I went to, ah, to cause trouble elsewhere to stay away from the berating.**

**NxS: Is that why we passed two police cars and an ambulance when D's dad was taking me home?**

**Joker: *grins as he steals back **Sinario**'s cat***

**NxS: *pouts***

**D: All right, puppy, where's Shadow?**

**Joker: *shrugs* Giving **Sinario** a, ah, a hug? She decided that she liked **Sinario**, I guess.**

**NxS: You seem pretty relaxed over her now.**

**Joker: *tenses and then holds up **Sinario**'s cat, staring at her* I want you to, ah, to attack your owner in her sleep. I just might keep you otherwise.**

**D: That sounds odd. Wouldn't you keep her if she did what you asked?**

**Joker: *grins* I like having a, ah, a secret agent in **Sinario**'s house. It's fun.**

**D: Oh, yeah, Joker, I want you to meet someone in the next author's note.**

**Joker: Oh, who?**

**D: Only **Sinario** and I know.**

**Joker: You've been **_**talking**_** to her!**

**NxS: Of course, she hasn't been… *pointed sidelook at D***

**D: Keep up the reviews!**


	34. Chapter 34

Teresa honked the horn again as I walked out of the apartment building. As I approached the black BMW, it began to drizzle, and I sighed. This was just my luck; it rained when I had business to take care of.

"I don't have all day," Teresa called. I rolled my eyes as I opened the car door and slipped in. "What took you so long?"

"Mrs. Wood, my landlord kept me back."

"_C'mon, Shadow, tell her, ah, the truth,"_ the Joker said in my ear.

Teresa looked me over, her eyes catching on the Joker's purple jacket. "Is that-?"

"Don't ask," I cut her off.

The Joker growled at me from the mic.

Teresa pressed anyway. "Isn't that the clown's jacket?"

I slapped my palm to my face. "Yes," I answered.

"_You, ah, have more to say than that, dear Shadow."_

"Are you on good terms with the clown?" she asked curiously.

Before she could react, I had a gun pressed into her neck. "If this conversation leaves this car," I warned.

"I understand perfectly, Shadow." Teresa, ignoring the gun in her neck, turned her head to see if anyone was coming before she pulled out of her parking space. "Put the gun away. I'll reveal my secrets if you do, and I'll do it first as a favor."

I hesitated.

"_Go ahead, Shadow,"_ the Joker pressed. _"Put, ah, the gun away."_ I obeyed him.

"How do you plan on getting this friend of yours out of Arkham?" I asked, my eyes trailing over her outfit. Her outfit was all black, typical of a normal criminal. She wore a tight-fitting pair of stretchy black pants that matched her corsette-esque shirt. Her hands were covered with leather gloves that held the steering wheel firmly but relaxed. Even her shoes, a pair of Reeboks were black to go with her outfit.

Teresa looked at me, curiously.

"Background information tends to help," I told her. "I don't even know which 'friend' I'm helping to get out."

"His name is Jonathan Crane," she said after a moment of hesitation.

At the same time, the Joker and I burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Teresa demanded angrily. She didn't get the joke.

"I've met two Jonathans in the past week and a half, and both of them are dead."

"You killed them?" she asked casually.

"I helped with one."

"And the Joker killed both of them," Teresa stated matter-of-factly, as if describing the weather.

I looked at her, my eyes narrowing with suspicion. She had intelligence, that was obvious, but how much did she know? Teresa was turning out to be an observant person, and at that moment, I didn't think I liked observant people.

"How much do you know about him?" I asked, carefully. I wanted to test her and her knowledge.

"_Don't be, ah, difficult, Shadow."_ I wanted to tell him to shut his mouth, but I had company.

"Not all that much. I figure it's obvious that I know what he looks like and what he wears." She jerked her chin at the Joker's jacket. "He's a criminal mastermind who is unpredictable with his schemes. He's considered insane, unable to remember a few details, pauses in the middle of his sentences, doesn't care about his own welfare." Teresa paused, thinking.

What she had already said sounded like what the Arkham report on the Joker said. Did she have access to those kinds of reports? She must have.

"Do you have a second job?" I asked her.

"Yes, I do," she answered distractedly as if she was still thinking.

"Do you work at Arkham?"

Teresa looked over at me, surprised. "You caught on really quick."

I grinned. "I'd say the same for you."

Teresa started laughing, a rich sound. It was an honest laugh. "And here I was, thinking you would be all business and cold-hearted."

"Seriously?" I asked, startled. "I thought _you_ were going to be like that."

We shared a moment of laughter. I didn't realize how tense I was until that moment. I eased into a comfortable position as our laughter died down.

"_Is there, ah, _laughing_ gas in that car?" _ the Joker demanded, sounding irritated.

"Cheer up, puppy," I murmured.

"_Not until, ah, you tell me what's so funny."_

My eyes widened. He could hear me even when I murmured. The hidden camera on the Joker's jacket was good at catching sound.

"All right, I'll introduce myself first," Teresa said, wiping tears out of her eyes. "My name is Teresa Doyle, and I'm twenty-seven years old. I have two jobs, a waitress and a secretary in Arkham respectively. I joined the ranks of criminals at age twenty when my father threw my out of the house for trying to protect my mother. My father was abusive, which I didn't understand because he never smoked or drank. In general, I am just a thief, and I don't enjoy killing people, even if it's for self-defense. My criminal name is Raven," she concluded, glancing at me to indicate it was my turn.

"Wait, one question. Why is your name Raven?" Teresa slapped on an eyemask with black feathers on it.

I shifted, thinking of what I should tell her. She had said nothing about her friend; that must mean I didn't have any pressure in that area.

"_You, ah gonna tell her?"_ Never mind, I take that back.

"I'm Sara…Ledger. I'm twenty-four, currently a detective under Commissioner Gordon. My alias name is Jane Susan McKinley. I was thirteen when I became a criminal, a henchman under the man who mercilessly murdered my mom, dad, and younger brother. Usually, I am only a thief, but I have a trust thing where I only turn against those I work with if they turn on me first. And of course, you know that Shadow is my criminal name."

Teresa nodded. "Now that we know the basics of one another, we can move onto our job." Suddenly, a strange expression appeared on her face, and she slowed the car down, turning onto an empty street.

I looked out the window, curious and frightened at the same time. We seemed to be in a deserted side of Gotham, or we weren't in Gotham at all. The street was dark, even with an occasional lamppost, and the buildings looked worn down. It seemed more of a shadow road, and I wondered if this was where Teresa had been headed in the first place.

The rain started coming down hard, and Teresa switched on the wipers so she could see.

"_Why so, ah, _silent_, Shadow?"_ the Joker asked.

"Teresa, where are we?" I asked.

"Don't you recognize it?" she questioned in return, puzzled. I shook my head. Teresa pointed straight ahead, down the road. "Recognize that place?"

I looked at the leaning building she was pointing out, and again, I shook my head. Did she expect me to know this place? I had never been here before. Why did she take me here?

"This isn't Arkham, is it?" I asked.

"No, Shadow, Arkham's much larger and better constructed than that. You've been here before," she stated confidently.

"Then, how can-?"

"_Warning, Shadow, how, ah does she _know_ if you've been there?"_ I had to remind myself to thank my beloved puppy for warning me.

"Wait, how do you know if I've been here?"

"Not to be suspicious or anything. I just _sense_ that this place is familiar to you. I don't understand-."

"You _sense_?" She acted like that didn't sound strange at all.

"Like you, I have special abilities," Teresa explained. "My senses are enhanced, stranger than a normal human's. I can sense most people's emotions-."

"Most?" I cut her off.

"I can't sense yours as well as the others, and I assume it's because you have an ability like mine," she explained, not even seeming irritated that I'd cut her off.

"Mine has to do with transportation…through shadows."

Teresa grinned as she pulled up next to the leaning building she thought I was familiar with. "So that's how your name came to be." She got out of the car, leaving it on.

"No, actually," I correct her as I climbed out of the car. "My name has a deeper meaning than that."

She shrugged. "Let's go inside and see if you remember the place."

"We have business to attend to," I protested as she started toward the main door. "We only have a certain amount of-."

"Don't be ridiculous," Teresa laughed. "We have all the time in the world. Besides, I'm curious."

I had to admit, Teresa was strange. It was _her_ friend we were breaking out of Arkham, not mine. And what was she curious about? It was an old building trying to imitate the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Big deal.

"You comin', Shadow?" she called from the doorway.

I sighed. "Fine," I said, rolling my eyes.

"_I, ah, recognize that warehouse."_

I halted, started that the Joker had spoken. "What is it?" I asked in a murmur.

"_I'm, ah, not telling. It's a, ah, a surprise."_ That was _so_ like him to say that.

I followed Teresa inside, looking around. The place certainly did _look_ familiar. The metal crates and machinery didn't make it click, and neither did the holes in the roof where rain was pouring in. Teresa wandered off, examining the place curiously.

"What the heck?" I murmured. It _was_ familiar; I just couldn't place it.

"_Aww, you, ah, can't remember,"_ he teased, giggling. _"What's, ah, my favorite pastime?"_

"Explosions," I answered, still trying to place why this warehouse was familiar.

"_No, my, ah, _other_ pastime."_

"Killing people."

He growled. _"No, what's _Heath's_ favorite-?"_

"Playing with fire," I said, confidently.

"_No!"_ he yelled, and I winced, covering my ear with the mic in it. _"My, ah, less _chaotic_ pastime."_

Suddenly, it dawned on me. "I learned to _shadow_ here," I whispered.

"_It's, ah, finally clicked, hasn't it?"_ The Joker giggled. _"Are you_ slow_ in the rain, Shadow?"_

"Shut up, you could have been more _specific_, _Joker_."

"_Not, ah, happy with me, are you?"_

I growled, and he laughed.

"Are you all right?" Teresa asked.

I looked at her; I had _completely_ forgotten she was there. "Something caught in my throat," I lied, quickly. "Can we go now?"

"Do you remember this place?" she pressed as we walked out into the pouring rain.

"Yes, I learned how to control my ability here," I answered, climbing back into the car. "Of course, I don't know all my limits yet."

"We'll have time," Teresa said, driving away from the building.

"Why did we go there?"

"I don't know. I always find myself drawn to that place, but I suppose it could have been you I was drawn to." She shrugged. "Off to Arkham then."

"Anything I should know about this place?" I asked.

"My friend, Crane is in the Maximum Security Wing, and he's in a specialized cell where he can't see out because he frightens his guards."

"Seriously?"

"He's very good at scaring people…" The Joker burst out laughing in my ear. "…with just words," Teresa finished.

"_Now _that_, ah, I've got to see,"_ the Joker giggled.

* * *

I glanced around the corner, looking at how the security was on the Maximum Security Wing.

"_Welcome to me, ah, second home, Shadow,"_ the Joker giggled. _"My room is, ah, is four doors down on the left."_

"Nice to know," I murmured.

"_Hey, ah, there's an empty one across the, ah, the hall from it. You're, ah, welcome to have it if you want."_

"Weren't you just telling me that you didn't want me here?"

The Joker fell silent. _"true, but I'm, ah, just_ telling_ you so then you know."_

"As if I was going to _purposely_ try and get myself a cell here."

"Are you talking to yourself?" Teresa asked. I jumped, startled, but when I turned to look at her, she wasn't there.

"Where-?"

"I'm right here." She immediately came into view, startling me again. "Another ability of mine."

"Invisibility?"

"I'm sure you could do the same in the shadows if you wanted to," she said, smiling sweetly.

I rolled my eyes. "So how are we going to do this? There's a booth with three guards that I can see."

"They should be watching the cameras," Teresa said. She pointed to the ceiling. "There's a camera right there facing into the hallway in case someone sneaks by the booth."

"The plan?" I asked.

"You're good at technology so we'll go in there, deal with the guards, and then you control the hallway and the cameras I tell you to control. The others, you leave alone. Understood?"

I nodded.

Teresa smiled. "See you in there," she said before vanishing from sight.

I let her get a head start since she had to actually walk over there. I counted three seconds in my head before I shadowed into the booth.

At first the guards didn't notice me; they were drinking coffee and eating donuts, talking about the Joker's breakout from the MCU. I didn't bother to interrupt their conversation; I just went over to the door and opened it for Teresa to sneak in, letting the light from the hallway pour in.

The guards abruptly stopped their chatting and turned to face the door.

"The Joker!" one of them yelled, while the other two quickly reached for their weapons.

I grinned; with my natural curly hair and with the Joker's jacket, I probably _did_ look like him. "Dead wrong, boys," I said as I closed the door having felt Teresa tap me to let me know she was inside, leaving the room in the dark and giving me plenty of shadows to use.

The first guard fired in my direction, but I shadowed behind him, hitting him with the baton from his belt. My invisible companion appeared before the guard who had yelled "the Joker". She smiled at him and then punched him in the mouth, probably knocking some teeth out.

The last guard had time to recover. He grabbed his baton and tried to hit me with it. I lifted my borrowed weapon to block it, but that left me with no free hands. The guard grabbed me by the Joker's jacket, and he pulled me closer to him.

I lifted my knee, hitting him between his legs. He grunted in pain, and his hold tightened. I heard a crunching sound, and I realized that he had crushed the small camera. There we go, the poor puppy at home wouldn't be able to see.

I hit the guard in the gut, causing him to double-over. Smashing my baton into the back of his head, I knocked him down to the floor.

"Efficient," Teresa complimented. I only glanced at her before I sat down to the computers. I cracked into the camera system and paused the hallway's cameras.

"You can head down now," I said. "Which one is your friend's cell?"

"Number ten," Teresa replied before she headed out. I watched her out of the booth's glass windows until she halted in front of one of the cells. Clicking the silent button, I disabled cell ten's cameras from picking up sound. I watched the cameras, looking in on a young-looking man.

I guessed he was in his late twenties. From the cameras, I could see his longish brown hair covering his eyes. He was wearing the traditional red jumpsuit that jails forced their occupants to wear. I assumed Teresa was talking to him because from his sitting position, he looked up, and I could see the icy blue eyes.

I could almost feel like he was analyzing me even though he wasn't looking at the camera. So, this was Jonathan Crane. What kind of criminal was he?"

From the booth windows, I saw Teresa step away from the cell door, closing a slot. I glanced at Crane to see that he was lying down. The perfect time to freeze his cell's cameras.

Once they were frozen, I gave Teresa a thumbs-up.

"_It's, ah, too quiet,"_ the nagging Joker said. _"What's, ah, happening?"_

"Raven and I happen to be more on the stealth side of this job, Mister J," I explained as I pushed the button that would unlock Crane's door. I watched as Crane got up and came out into the hallway toward Teresa.

They moved so fast that it scared me.

* * *

**D: I don't understand. Why does everyone have this **_**thing**_** against Dean?**

**Joker: Shall I, ah,**_** dumb**_** it down for you, D?**

**D: *looking offended* Don't need to be so mean, but it would be nice to know.**

**Joker: *eyeroll* Everyone's siding with me, D. No one likes Dean.**

**D: People liked Dean before!**

**Joker: **_**Until**_**, ah, he started hitting on my girl.**

**D: Oh…and so many people want him to die, **Sinario** in particular. She's threatened to get into my story and kill him.**

**NxS: And **Sinario**, I think if D doesn't get the right twist in for Dean then **_**I'll**_** let you in to kill him.**

**Shadow: So much hatred. I like him.**

**Joker: You can't, ah, **_**say**_** anything on this matter, Shadow. You're siding with D.**

**Shadow: Somebody's gotta side with D since her own beta reader is against her too. Besides, **Sinario**, might want to refrain from killing Dean off with NxS's help because then I'd go back to hating you, and by stating that, I just might decide to kill your cat – Heath's favorite pet.**

**Joker: *picks up the cat* Don't come, ah, any closer! *****NxS steps between the cat and Shadow protectively***

**Shadow: *eyeroll* Again, here's the line. Review the story and bring in your comments. D bases her author's notes on these reviews.**


	35. Chapter 35

**D: Before I get into the story, I wanna list the reviewers who I've seem to have lost. If your username is here, would you mind reviewing this story, just at least to tell me that you're still _alive_. Here's the list: **midnighthorrors, ThirstOfFire, Lorendiac, Eugar, JimandSteve, heartlesssuniveitabledarkness, ChibiLover123, JokersChaosPrincess, Alice Vanity, rudebox, phantomluver8749, SHADOWoftheFOX, ILoveMistahJ, Rewrite-An-Ending-That-Fits, dreamer-girl-reana, WolfxAngel, Avoid the Truth, TheWeirdGirlFromDownTheRoad **- btw, **WeirdGirl**, Mister J still has your ferret, Zack - **Jessus48, J. Mysterieuse, Nocturnal Rose, lovesaphira, Samwich520, GadGet05, **and** Lothiriel Saerwen.** If you're on the list, tell me if you're still alive; I feel like you guys died or something. And I send my thanks to the past few people who've reviewed since chapter 30 - if I miss someone, forgive me - **LaughingAngelsGibberish, Scarecrow'sGotMyHeart1, Sinario **"the Grammar Nazi" - Mistah J put that in - and my dear beta reader **NiftyxSara **(NxS).**

* * *

I _knew_ that staring was not polite, but I just couldn't _help_ it.

Teresa was tall, and so was Jonathan Crane. They seemed to be about two inches apart in height, which turned out to be pretty convenient.

So Teresa's "friend" turned out to either be her boyfriend, or her husband, though the later seemed unlikely because they didn't have the same surname. Then again, she could be going by an alias.

Boy, the way they wrapped around one another, connected at the mouth-.

"_You're, ah, hyperventilating, Shadow."_ I jumped and let out a squeak of surprise. The Joker laughed. _"Forget I was, ah, here? Tell me, what, ah, are you hyperventilating about?"_

"Nothing," I answered, too quickly.

"_What a, ah, a lie! Shadow, you couldn't _ever_ lie to me."_ He sounded pretty confident.

"I'm goin' to _beat_ you once I get home," I growled in irritation.

"_Nope, you're goin' to, ah, to _tumble_ me when you get back."_

I rolled my eyes, deciding not to argue with him.

Teresa and Crane _finally_ released each other, or _almost_. They still had one arm around one another. I had to step out of the booth and wave my arms around.

"Can we get _moving_ here?" I demanded. "I don't have all day." I grinned; I had thrown Teresa's earlier words right back at her.

Once Teresa and Crane had joined me at the booth, I went back in to unfreeze the hallway's cameras. I left it like that, closing the door behind me.

The icy blue stare that met my eyes freaked me out.

"Shadow, this is Jonathan Crane," Teresa said, introducing her boyfriend. "Jon, this is Shadow."

Crane held out a hand, and I shook it, my eyes fixed on his. "Shadow's not your real name."

"No, it's not." I grinned, deciding to see if she had a sense of humor. "I bet you can't guess it."

He actually smiled. "I like games," he said, plainly.

"All right, let's go," Teresa said, pulling on Crane's arm. I nodded and motioned for them to go first. Crane kept his icy stare on me until I was right behind him. I thought I could see his mind working, even from behind.

We proceeded out of Arkham, Teresa turning invisible with Crane – probably because she was touching him – and I trailing behind in the shadows. Wherever I was, it seemed like Crane's icy stare always found me, even if he didn't know about my ability. Even though I couldn't see his eyes, I _felt_ them on me.

I reached the BMW before Teresa and Crane, strangely. Instead of sitting outside, I climbed into the driver's seat and turned the key, which Teresa left in there on purpose. Teresa and Crane appeared right in front of the car, nearly giving me a heart attack. They ran around the car and jumped into the backseat, both of them.

I drove away from Arkham, feeling the tension leave me. My breathing had accelerated, and I took my time in calming it to a steady pace.

Teresa and Crane spoke quietly to one another, and I ignored them, wishing painfully for my own boyfriend. Of course, he was sitting in my apartment with nothing more than audio to listen to.

After about five minutes, Teresa finally addressed me, and I wished she hadn't.

"You've met my boyfriend; I should meet yours."

"What?" The idea was so crazy that I nearly drove off the road.

"I think it's fair," she pressured.

"Absolutely _not_!" I nearly shouted. I thought I heard Crane murmur something that sounded like "interesting".

"You know, Shadow…both of our boyfriends have been in Arkham. I think they'd find that they have a good amount in common."

The Joker laughed in my ear.

"Only is Crane is a mass murdering criminal master mind," I shot.

Teresa pulled herself up so then her face appeared between the front seats. "C'mon, Shadow," she begged. "I want to meet him. I'm sure he and Crane would have a good relationship."

I turned my head to flare at her, and as I did so, I saw something in Crane's head. What is that?" I asked.

"Don't change the subject, Shadow," she said, trying to block my view.

"I will _not_ agree _or_ disagree until you tell me what Crane is holding."

"It's my mask," Crane answered, simply.

Teresa lurched forward to grab the steering wheel to keep the car straight. I jerked out of her way, accidentally hitting my head hard against the window. I felt my mix fall out and I tried to grab it, but it fell down under the seat.

I helped you save _Scarecrow_!"

"Calm down, Shadow," Teresa said trying to soothe me.

"That's it!" I shadowed out of the car unto the side of the road. I didn't even mind the pouring rain; I was so ticked. It took Teresa awhile to get to the break before she turned around and came back.

I stood there, fuming, as Teresa got out of the front seat.

"You didn't ask who I was helping," she pointed out.

"I don't care. Of all people to let out, it had to be the Scarecrow!"

"Are you scared of him?" she asked, exasperated.

"No, his ability."

"Do you know much about him?"

Oh, now she was testing _me_. "No, despite him using this kind of gas that reveals one's worst fear."

"He won't use it on you, Shadow, if that's what you're afraid of," Teresa said, trying to calm me.

I would have none of it. "I'm going home, and I don't want to see him ever again."

"I promise you-."

"Don't bother promising something that you can't keep. You have no control over him." I cut her off angrily.

"Shadow, you have power over the Joker, don't you?"

"No," I denied.

"Yes, you do; I can tell."

"Is reading someone's mind another ability of yours?" I demanded.

"No, it's only the enhanced sense and the invisibility," Teresa answered. I glared at her. "C'mon, Shadow. How bad can it be? I assure you, I have enough power over Jon to keep him from trying anything on you."

I stared at her, hard. I realized I was acting foolishly, but I didn't like the Scarecrow; _that_ much I was sure of. I didn't like his ability; I just didn't _like_ him.

"It's all right to not like him, Shadow," Teresa said, calmly, "Not everyone likes every person they meet."

"I don't want to be in the car with him. I don't like how he _stares_ at me!" I supposed _that_ was what was unnerving me.

"Then he'll sit up in the front with me," Teresa shot back matter of factly.

"Fine," I growled. I figured that I might as well stay with them, despite the face that I _could_ just shadow back to my beloved puppy.

Crane moved up into the passenger's seat with Teresa while I sat in the back. Driving down the highway, I was pretty bored. I wanted to look for my mic and hear what my puppy was saying, but every time I moved to look, Crane glanced back at me.

Finally, I gave in and just ducked under the driver's seat. I reached under, feeling the floor of the car for my earphone. Of course, it wasn't there. I ignored Crane as I switched to the other seat, _his_ seat.

"What are you doing?" Of course, he had the _nerve_ to speak to me.

"What's it _look_ like?" I snapped. After I felt the earphone wasn't there, I sat up, wishing to snarl in frustration, but I reframed from doing that. No need to give him something to mark down. I saw Teresa frowning in the review mirror.

"Looking for _this_?" I looked over and then glared at him. He knew I had been looking for it, and he had waited until _after_ I looked for it. What nerve! He was as bad as Heath in finding out what made someone tick…no, Heath still won in that section in my book.

"Yes, thank you," I said, none too politely. I took it out of his hand and played with it in my fingers. I moved to sit directly behind the Scarecrow. It didn't take him long to look at me in the side mirror.

I gave up and sat in the middle.

"So, about your boyfriend," Teresa said.

"_Fine_," I snapped. I was irritated with both of them, and there was no point arguing. If one of them pushed me too far, I was going to kill one or both of them. "Only for a few minutes, though," I added as I slammed my mic into my ear.

The rest of the ride was quiet. I looked out all the windows, depending on whether or not Crane was looking at me. It seemed like he was purposely trying to annoy me.

I growled once we entered Gotham. That made Crane glance at me, and I finally said, "Do you have a problem?"

Crane smiled and turned back to the front. I took to glaring at his head, waiting for him to turn around again. He sensed my gaze, and his icy blue stare met my angry one.

"Do _you_ have a problem?" Crane asked, grinning. I wanted to hurt him; I just hoped that the Joker wouldn't like him.

Teresa pulled up to my apartment. "Shadow, Jon and I are going in invisible," she told me. "Jon's an escapee from Arkham after all."

"Yeah, yeah," I said. Teresa climbed into the backseat so then I could get out of the front door to pretend it was my car. I got out and held the door open for Crane and Teresa.

"All right," Teresa whispered. I closed the door and headed into my apartment building.

As I turned around, I jumped.

"Did I scare you, Jane?" Mrs. Wood asked. My landlord had _such_ good timing. At least my jump gave Crane and Teresa time to sneak in.

"You almost gave me a heart attack," I told her as I closed the door. "Second floor, room 214," I whispered. "Wait for me."

"What?" Mrs. Wood asked. She had seen my mouth moving.

"I had a dentist appointment," I lied, "My mouth is sore."

"Of course." She smiled sweetly, and I noticed that she was dressed up to go out into the pouring rain. "Mind opening the door for me?"

"Of course, I'm sorry," I said, moving to obey.

"Don't worry about it, dear. Go eat something soft."

"All right, have a nice evening, Mrs. Wood."

"Oh, Jane, I'll be out for a few days. I'm visiting my daughter and her children. I've told the others already."

"I hope you have a safe travel there. Have a great time," I said. I closed the door behind her and let out a sigh of relief. Mrs. Wood would be out of the way for a few days. It didn't seem like she suspected anything yet, which was a good sign.

I ran up the stairs, two steps at a time. Racing down the hallway, I came to a skidding stop in front of the door, and I heard Teresa muffling a laugh to my left. I unlocked the door and went inside.

The lights were off so I flipped the switch. My apartment looked normal, nothing was out of order or anything. Teresa and Crane appeared as I ventured into the kitchen. I didn't understand why the lights were off, but the Joker _did_ have something to eat. The evidence was sitting in the sink.

I pulled out my cell phone and placed it on the counter, heaving a tired sigh. Then, I turned around and jumped. Crane was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"_Honestly_," I growled. "I don't…need you wandering my apartment." I pushed past him, clenching my teeth as I nearly bumped into Teresa. "Get him out of my face, Teresa, or I swear, he's going to have a little _accident_."

She nodded understandingly and went into the kitchen.

I rubbed my head as the headache returned. Why didn't it just go away and _stay_ away?

I entered my living room, and my breath hitched in my throat.

There, sprawled on my chair, was my beloved puppy. A smile stretched over my lips as I saw an identical grin appear on his face when he saw me. He still didn't have any makeup on, which meant he hadn't left the apartment at all.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he lifted a finger to his lips and then motioned me over. I bounded over, happily, and he grabbed me into a tight embrace before kissing me passionately on the lips.

Somehow, he managed to stand up with me while we kissed. He released me and then stalked toward the kitchen. I stopped him by grabbing his arm, and I pulled him over into a dark corner, away from the light.

"It's Scarecrow," I whispered.

"I know, I heard," he said. I didn't know what to say, and the Joker giggled softly before giving me another small kiss.

My head throbbed as the Joker turned away to head back into the kitchen, and I followed him, holding my forehead. Teresa was coming out of the kitchen as we approached, but I quickly pushed the Joker out of the way, into the shadows before she saw him.

"Is he here?" she asked me.

"Somewhere," I answered. "He could have left for all I know." And then, the Joker pushed me back, and he stepped out into the light. Teresa jumped at the sight of him, and her eyes widened when she saw the scars on his mouth. I turned to him. "Go meet, Jonathan," I told him as I grabbed Teresa's arm.

The Joker licked his lips and then moved past Teresa and into the kitchen.

"Oh no," Teresa mumbled.

"It's all right," I said.

"He's going to kill him…" she whispered worriedly, staring at the kitchen doorway.

My eyes widened. I _did_ tell him that Crane's first name was Jonathan. "Go sit on the couch. I'll handle it." I led her quickly to the couch before I moved into the kitchen.

Before I reached it, there was a hissing sound and the crash of two people slamming into one another. I stood in the doorway to see that the Joker had Crane down on the ground with a gun in his hand, pressed against the back of Crane's head. There was a wild look in the Joker's face, and I certainly wouldn't have classified it a look I've ever seen on Heath's unpainted face.

There was a strange smell in the room, and I sniffed. It had to be some kind of perfume or…_gas_. I covered my mouth and nose as I moved away from the kitchen. My headache grew worse with the smell, and I went over to the couch, collapsing beside Teresa.

Then, I heard my cell phone go off in the kitchen.

* * *

**NxS: Yay for Gal Pal and her love3 *dances happily* Such a great chapter, if I do say so myself. *continues dancing***

**D:And we'll be coming up on the chapter that annoyed me so much. But before I go to the next chapter, whoever reviews this, tell me if you're a girl or not. The Joker has decided to give in and give every _girl_ a hug.**

**NxS: He owes me a kiss too.**

**Joker: I gave you a, ah, a kiss and hug on facebook!**

**NxS: That doesn't count. All the other reviewers have to witness.**

**Joker: *eyeroll***

**D: If any of you are guys, the Joker will give you a handshake, but the fangirls get the hug (no kisses though! It's bad enough for his health that he has to give NxS a kiss!)**


	36. Chapter 36

**D: Hey, people, so glad that some of you are _still alive_. You guys got me worried. Before I go onto the story, I want everyone to give **TheWeirdGirlFromDownTheRoad** a hug (vitual hug really) because her amazing ferret Zack died. Joker, where the heck are you?**

**Joker: *runs into room, breathing heavily* NxS was chasing me, trying to get her hug and kiss before any of the other readers.**

**D: We have a reader in need of _two_ hugs.**

**Joker: Better not be **Sinario**.**

**D: You'll have to give her a hug too, but no, it's **TheWeirdGirl**.**

**Joker: Oh. *hugs **TheWeirdGirl**, and holds on, patting her head while she cries* Don't worry, ah, **WeirdGirl_, _**I liked Zack; he was such a, ah, a nice ferret, despite how he kept running up my _pant leg every morning!_ He'll be in the author notes just cause I liked him that much *glances at D***

**D: Sure, if **WeirdGirl**wants a constant reminder of her ferret.**

**Joker: *smacks a kiss on **WeirdGirl**'s cheek***

**D: At least Shadow's not here...**

**NxS: And **Sinario**, the 3 was supposed to be a heart.**

* * *

I remained on the couch, holding my head with both hands. The throbbing pulsed at a steady beat, but it was only a matter of time before it hurt more. I strained to hear whoever had answered my cell, but I could only hear a soft murmur responding.

My headache pounded, drowning out all sound for few minutes. I was slightly aware of Teresa sitting beside me, holding me up so then I didn't fall off the couch. The dizziness nearly drove me onto the floor.

Suddenly, the sound of sobbing pierced through the blood pounding in my ears, and it was followed by a burst of laughter. I recognized the Joker's laughter, but who was crying?

I forced myself to open my eyes and glanced in the direction of the kitchen, despite my dizziness. It took me a moment to realize that there were three Jokers bouncing out of three doorways. His real laugh helped me pinpoint that the Joker on my right was him.

"Hey, Shadow, having, ah, another headache?" he asked, ignoring Teresa.

I lost the sense of which one he was. "Which one?" I asked, stupidly.

The three Jokers cocked their heads to the side, and his laughter stopped. Then, he knelt down in front of me. "How many, ah, fingers can I holding up?"

"Total, or just one of you."

"Don't answer that. How many, ah, are you seeing of me?"

I felt so dizzy. "Seven…" I closed my eyes and felt my body suddenly go numb. I believe the Joker caught me before I hit the floor, but I can't be sure since I could feel _nothing_ at that point.

There was _something_ that kept me conscious, some smell on the Joker. I sniffed with my numb nose, and then I stiffened.

I couldn't escape it: my worst fear. The water was everywhere, even with my eyes closed. I wanted to scream, but it caught in my throat.

Paralyzing fear gripped me.

* * *

The Joker watched in horror as Shadow's face drained of color. Her eyes widened, and it seemed as though she was trying to speak, to breathe, but couldn't.

"Is she all right?" Teresa asked, oblivious to what was happening, growing worried.

"What gas does _he_ use?" the Joker demanded.

"Fear gas. It reveals your worst fear," she said confused, still not understanding.

"_Damn."_ The Joker stood up instantly and caught Shadow before she collapsed. He ran into her room, throwing her on her bed and closing and locking the door quickly. Then, he jumped on the bed, straddling her and gripping either side of her head.

"Shadow, Shadow, look at me," he ordered.

She responded by screaming.

The Joker clapped his hand over her mouth, cutting off her scream. Her blue eyes widened even more. "_Focus_, Shadow. It's me, Heath!" The Joker winced as Shadow gripped his hand – the one she had bruised many days ago – and she squeezed.

And then, she threw him off the bed. The Joker fell on the ground and groaned as he rolled to his feet. He ran to her desk and looked in the drawers for something, _anything_ to distract her.

And to think that he had decided he _liked_ the Scarecrow!

"Ah-ha!" he said. He had found her iPod, and _just in time_.

Shadow began thrashing as the Joker turned around. He leaped on top of her, holding her down and struggling to get her earbuds in. He had to rip the mic out and managed to place it safely on the nightstand. Shadow kept hitting him, but he ignored the pathetic punches as he turned her iPod on.

Once it was playing, the Joker lay on top of her, holding her limbs down so then she wouldn't thrash. He knew that you shouldn't hold down someone who was having a seizure, but with Shadow, it was the only thing keeping her from actually hurting herself more than was necessary.

Time didn't matter to the Joker. It took forever for Shadow to calm down, but eventually, she did. It was gradual; her thrashings becoming weaker and less frequent. Finally, she sucked in air through her nose, and her eyes closed. The Joker watched her for several seconds before registering that Shadow had fallen asleep instantly.

He climbed off her slowly as to not disturb her uneasy sleep. Anger shot through his veins as he straightened his vest. He reached into his jacket – which Shadow still wore – and pulled out his favorite object from those pockets. He walked toward the door, feeling his anger boil. He unlocked the door and slipped out.

Teresa stood up from where she had sat on the couch. "Is she all right?" she asked anxiously.

"Where is he?"

"What about-?"

"WHERE IS HE?"

Teresa nearly fell onto the couch. She was too scared to speak so she pointed in the direction of the kitchen.

The Joker instantly moved in that direction, slamming into the door which was half-open. His eyes located Crane, who looked to be cooking something, and he immediately jumped on him, pulling him down to the floor. The Joker clicked his switchblade open and quickly placed it in Crane's mouth, pulling his cheek taut. He held one of Crane's arms behind his back, pulling it up in an awkward position.

"What the _hell_ did you think you were doing?" he demanded. "What does your fear gas do?"

"It's a powerful psychotropic hallucinogenic derived from a Chinese flower-," Crane began to answer, calmly.

"In English!" the Joker yelled, forcing down the urge to slice open the Scarecrow's mouth.

"It causes the victim to see their worst fear."

The Joker growled. "If you value your life, Scarecrow, you're going to have to find a cure to that gas."

"There is a cure," Crane answered, "It's just a matter of getting the materials." The Joker jerked Crane's arm, and the Scarecrow gasped. "Ask Teresa to find the materials; she knows what I need."

"Call her," the Joker whispered, dangerously.

Crane, despite the knife in his mouth, still remained calm. "Teresa, Shadow accidentally got a whiff of my fear gas. She needs the antidote."

Teresa had appeared in the doorway when the Scarecrow said her name, and she nodded, understandingly. She disappeared just as fast.

The Joker turned his head and caught sight of Crane's mask over on the counter. "And you _won't_ be seeing that mask of yours again until Shadow's recovered, and possibly not even after _that_."

* * *

_I didn't know where I was, but I _did_ know that I wasn't conscious._

_There are times in dreams where people believe that it is reality, but there are some people who could tell the difference. I was one of those people._

_I was standing in a dark alleyway on a cloudy night. No moon, no light, except for the light that came filtered in through the mouth of the alley._

_I heard footsteps, rapid footsteps. I turned, thinking they were coming behind me, but I only saw a brick wall. Facing forward, I jumped when I saw that there was someone running into the alley._

_The stranger ran to the wall, placed his hands on the brick wall, and was breathing heavily. "Make it stop," he exhaled. He put a hand to his head, wincing. "Shut up, you…you…whoever you are! Stop talking to me!"_

_I stared at the stranger. Was he insane or something?_

"_That isn't what I want!" the stranger argued to no one in particular. "I wanted nothing more than a happy life."_

"_You wouldn't have gotten it with Jeannie, Heath."_

_My eyes widened. Was I seeing my own version of how Heath became to be the Joker? My imagination was going off on its own, and I was completely aware of it._

_Heath shook his head. "Stop it!" he shouted._

"_Turn around, Heath."_

_He did, and his eyes widened in horror. He stepped back, his back colliding with the brick wall. The left side of his mouth…it was already scarred, and his right…was covered with blood. It was like he had just cut it, except the scar had formed already._

"_Leave me alone, whoever you are."_

"_I, ah, can't, Heath."_

"_Yes, you can. Go away."_

"_Keep, ah, denying who you were meant to be, Heath Ledger." A dark figure appeared at the other end of the alley, standing there with his back to the light. "Come, my dear friend, come and embrace who you, ah, are meant to be."_

_Heath shook his head, pulling a knife out of his pocket. With a glance, I recognized it as his switchblade._

_The figure approached slowly, looking menacing as it came. "Put the knife away, Heath, you, ah, know it won't protect you from the likes of me."_

"_Stay away from me!" Heath yelled._

"_Shh, not so loud," the figure said. The figure reached into its jacket pocket, leaving its hand in there._

"_Stay where you are!"_

"_Didn't, ah, I say to not be so loud?"_

"_Stay away," Heath said. He was panicking, sweat dripping down his brow. I wanted to help him, but for some reason, I couldn't move. The figure continued to approach, ever so gradually._

"_Ya know, Heath, you and I are quite alike," the figure said._

"_I don't know who you are."_

"_Really? That's fine; you'll, ah, learn who I am soon enough. At least Jeannie's out of the way."_

"_I didn't try to get rid of her."_

_The figure stopped in its tracks, laughing. "You told me the same thing with Shadow."_

_I was included in this?_

"_Who's Shadow?" Heath asked, trying to pretend he didn't know._

"_You know pretty well who Shadow is, Heath. I seem to know her better than you do. _I've_ seen a different side of you, and one day, you'll be able to witness it."_

"_I don't know a shadow."_

"_Sara…dear reader and loner Sara, recognize her?" The figure laughed as he moved toward Heath again. He pulled something out of his pocket and clicked it open. He held it up into the light where both Heath and I could see what it was. "This is the _same_ knife, Heath…"_

_Heath's eyes continued to wide, and I thought I saw black spots appearing around them._

"_Keep watching, Heath boy." The figure leaped forward and grabbed Heath by the front of his jacket. "Black, Heath?" he said in a teasing tone. He giggled. "Purple looks _so_ much better on you. I would, ah, know."_

_I _knew_ who the figure was, but Heath seemed too afraid of him that he just didn't seem to get it – though it could have been because he didn't know._

"_Ask me, Heath," the figure ordered, "Ask me who I am. I want to, ah, to tell you, but I won't until you ask."_

_Heath struggled to speak, and the figure threw him against the wall. I heard a crack, and Heath whimpered in pain. Now, I knew I wasn't seeing things. White splotches appeared on Heath's face, on his cheeks, his nose, and his forehead._

"_Who…are you?" Heath whispered._

"_What?" the figure asked, teasingly. "I, ah, didn't hear you. Speak up!"_

"_Who are you?" Heath demanded._

"_I'm you, and you're me." The figure burst out laughing. "Here I am, Heath, the one you are meant to become, ever since your father – _our_ father sliced open the left side of our face. Can you guess what your name will become?" The figure pressed his arm against Heath's throat, suffocating him. "The name came from one of the things that dear Shadow called us. Heath Ledger, lose that name; let no one know what it is. Let only Shadow know; you will become me to find her. It's the only way."_

_Heath struggled to free himself, but to no avail._

_The figure grinned. "You're finally getting, ah, it, Heath boy. Tell me, what did Shadow call you when you were younger?"_

_Heath choked, trying to speak but being unable because he was being choked. The figure moved his arm so that Heath could speak._

"_C'mon, ah, tell me."_

"_Joker…she called me 'Joker' when she was mad at me."_

_The Joker smiled at his former self, grinning ear to ear. "Shadow's here right now, Heath. She's witnessing how you became me. Of course, there's a limit to the actual truth. Don't be afraid to tell her the truth when she asks." The Joker glanced at me, and his smile vanished. "All for you, Shadow," he whispered._

* * *

Shadow's hand twitched.

The Joker, who sat next to her, holding her arm so that the Scarecrow could inject the antidote into her, looked up and searched her face for any reaction.

Her hand twitched again.

The Joker chewed on the inside of his cheek, nervously. He hoped that Crane hadn't decided to poison Shadow because then, he wouldn't be able to stop from blaming himself. Of all people, Shadow was the only one he considered valuable, the only person he could ever love and care for. For her, he would always place himself in danger to protect her…then again, when had he not?

Crane removed the needle and covered Shadow's arm with a patch. "It will take awhile to activate, but she should be fine."

"_Should_…that's, ah, the keyword, isn't it?" the Joker asked, averting his eyes from Shadow to meet the Scarecrow's icy blue ones.

The Scarecrow stood up. "If anything, I'd say that you have nothing to worry about, which shouldn't be hard for someone like you."

The Joker sniffed.

"You care for one person, and that's not even yourself," Crane continued.

The Joker stood up suddenly and grabbed Crane by his jacket. He had changed clothes while Teresa was out retrieving the materials needed for the fear gas antidote.

"What do, ah, do you care?" the Joker demanded, angrily.

"This isn't like you," Crane said, calmly. "You were just a happy man back in Arkham."

"Things, ah, change sometimes."

"For some people, but you are one who doesn't seem to be in for the changes."

"I _love_ changes," the Joker insisted.

"I'm a psychologist, and I tend to _research_ how people interact with one another, in particular people's fears." Crane narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he was thinking. "You, Joker, happen to be the strangest of cases."

The Joker narrowed his eyes.

"My fear gas had _no affect_ on you. It makes me curious," Scarecrow continued on as calm as ever.

"Maybe because I don't have a, ah, a worst fear, Scarecrow."

"What about losing Shadow?" Crane pressed.

"Wouldn't that have, ah, _registered_ with your fear gas?"

"It's supposed to."

"Shouldn't you two have this argument somewhere else?" The Joker and Crane turned their heads toward the doorway where Teresa was standing. "She _is_ trying to sleep," Teresa pointed out.

The Joker released Crane's jacket, which Crane straightened casually. With a look at the Joker, Crane moved around him and left the room, passing by Teresa. Teresa stood there in the doorway, tapping her foot.

The Joker glared at her. "I'm not, ah, _moving_," he growled. "One thing I won't tolerate is, ah, someone who thinks, ah, I'm leaving my girl alone."

Teresa matched his angry glare as she pulled the door closed. She stopped halfway though. "Three o'clock," she told him. "That's when I'm coming back."

"Why?" the Joker asked, suddenly curious.

"You'll see." She closed the door with a smirk.

How _irritating_! The Joker sat down next to Shadow, rubbing his face. His scars tingled as he glanced over at the sleeping Shadow. Feeling exhausted, he lay down next to her, turning on his side so then he could watch her sleep. If anything, at least she was breathing steadily.

That and his arm laid over her stomach allowed him to drift into his own tormented sleep.

* * *

**D: Poor puppy…image if you were insane and your sleep was troubled all the time. That's why puppy doesn't sleep all that great.**

**Joker: Oh, shut up, D.**

**NxS: *smacks his nose* Be nice.**

**Joker: *rubs nose* Of all people, you **_**had**_** to let NxS be your beta reader.**

**D: She enjoys it, and I like knowing my beta reader personally. The only thing is that she beats me – with words – to get my job done. As if I wasn't moving fast enough before I asked her to be my beta reader. My writing looks better after she edits it though, so it's nice. It's something I can deal with.**

**Shadow: I find it funny how the readers caught on to NxS's gal pal idea.**

**Joker: *eyeroll* As if it's turning out for the best at the moment.**

**D: It gets better.**

**NxS: *****giggles and smiles smugly* Oh, hey, D, don't forget to ask **Sin**-**

**D: Oh, and **Sinario**, did you know that your cat's been taken by the Joker? He's had her for the past…two or three author notes. It's more of something NxS was wondering when she came to my workplace to berate me during my 15 minute break.**

**NxS: ****I didn't berate you, I just teased you because you had to work and I got to read Batman stuffs *smiles innocently***

**D: All right, Shadow, Mistah J, give the line.**

**Joker: What line?**

**D: *glares* You **_**know**_** what line.**

**Joker: *sigh***

**Joker&Shadow: Keep reviewing the story. If not, we'll both come after you and kill you off.**

**Joker: And no one is, ah, allowed to call me 'puppy' in any of their reviews. That's against the **_**rules**_**.**

**Shadow: I certainly don't like how anyone would do that. Besides, my beloved puppy, you've been such a caring, casual guy lately.**

**Joker: Just cause you haven't been around **_**lately**_**.**

**D: He's rubbing off on me.**

**NxS: ****And you've been spoiling him. Silly puppy. *dances off happily***

**D: *whispers* What happened to hugging **WeirdGirl**?**

**Joker: *whispers* I, ah, gave her another hug and then had to let her go before Shadow entered the room.**

**D: So fangirls, we'll have to wait for the author notes at the beginning of a chapter to get those special gifts from the Joker out.**

**Shadow: *confused* What special gifts?**

**Joker: I'll give you one later.  
**


	37. Chapter 37

**D: All right, I promised **Sinario** that we would have a certain visitor for quite a few chapters, but I had thought up the early author notes (whether they were before or after the chapter, either way) and I wanted them down before I lost them. So, sorry, **Sinario**, but you'll have to wait for the next chapter for a certain somebody to come in so he can make fun of the Joker while he's hugging all his fangirls.**

**Joker: *sigh* How many do I, ah, have to hug?**

**D: I believe there are...eight.**

**Joker: Does that include, ah, NxS?**

**D: Yes.**

**Joker: *another sigh* What are the names?**

**D: *smirks* Why so _curious_, Mistah J?**

**Joker: *flips open switchblade* Just read them off, D!  
**

**D: **Sam Wiise Gamjii, LaughingAngelsGibberish, ILoveMistahJ, 07Tazzy92, Scarecrow'sGotMyHeart1, **and of course, your favorite person in the world - **Sinario**.**

**Joker: *sticks tongue out* **Sin** can just go...ah, jump off a cliff somewhere.**

**D: Only _after_ she gets her hug from you.**

**Joker: Wait, that's, ah, only seven.**

**D: I get a hug too, don't I?**

**Joker: I give you, ah, enough hugs.**

**D: Which turns into you _strangling_ me. C'mon, I bought that deep purple shirt you wanted me to wear!**

**Joker: *sighs* Fine...**

**D: And don't forget NxS's kiss too. So readers, if there are any girls that I missed, note that down in your review for this chapter. I hope I didn't miss anyone.**

**Joker: Wait! I'll make a, ah, a deal with **Sinario**. I'll give her a hug _and_ a kiss if I can keep her cat. What do ya say, **Sin**? Is your - *coughs* - "child", ah, worth both a hug _and_ a kiss from your archrival?! Oh, one other thing, you're to avoid calling me by some _obnoxious_ dog name. Keep it as 'Joker'.**

**D: You drive a hard bargain.**

**Joker: *brushes off pretend dust from jacket* It's one of the things, ah, I do for a living. *bounces out of the room, giggling*  
**

* * *

The door slammed open, and the loud voice scared me out of my slumber. My body jerked as someone said, "Get up, both of you! We got to get out of here within twenty minutes!"

I heard Heath moan beside me, and he shifted closer to me, burying his head into the back of my neck. His arm, which was draped over me, moved, and I reached for his hand, pulling it toward my face where I could put my head on it.

"Stop that!" Teresa pulled the Joker's arm off me, and she hit my head with something soft. "Get up!" She hit me again, and I raised a hand to protect my head.

"What the heck, Teresa," I protested, loudly.

"Up, Shadow!"

As Teresa hit me continuously with the pillow, I felt the Joker roll out of bed, sitting on the other edge.

"Make her stop," I groaned, trying to grab the pillow as Teresa tried to hit me with it again.

"Teresa," the Joker said, in a tired voice.

"Clown boy, get out of here. This is none of your business." Teresa hit me again, and this time, I became angry. I threw the covers up and lunged at her, tackling her to the ground.

"Stop!" I told her. I climbed off her, fuming, as I went over to my dresser to get some clothes. I noticed I was still wearing the Joker's jacket, and I stared at it, not registering that I should give it back to him.

"Might want to find you some normal clothes, clown boy," Teresa said.

"Why?" the Joker asked, wearily. I turned around and saw him rubbing his eyes. How can he not be wide-awake yet? I didn't understand.

"We're going out in public," Teresa answered. "And we're going undercover as _citizens_."

The Joker groaned and fell on his back onto the bed.

"Hey! None of that!" Teresa took up her pillow of a weapon and hit him in the face. Unlike me, the Joker had good reflexes even when he was half-awake. He caught the pillow before it hit him and ripped it out of Teresa's hands. To show his superior attitude, the Joker placed the pillow underneath his head and closed his eyes, pretending to go back to sleep.

Then, I snapped. I went around Teresa and jumped on him. He wasn't expecting me so I caught him completely by surprise. The Joker grunted as I landed on his chest, and he opened his eyes, glaring at me. Of course, once he recognized that it was me who had attacked him, he grinned and closed his eyes again.

"Let's _go_!" Teresa yelled, startling both me and the Joker. She finally left the room, slamming the door closed.

The Joker started laughing. "She's, ah, harsh in the morning, isn't she?" he asked me.

"I wouldn't know," I told him, glancing at the clock. "I hardly know her. Why the _hell_ did she wake us up at three in the morning?"

"Ticked off, aren't you?" I slapped his cheek, and even though I left a red mark on his face, he giggled anyway.

"You don't feel pain, do you?" I demanded as I climbed off him.

"Only the pain you give me," he answered, still giggling.

I rolled my eyes as I returned to my dresser. "I want to know where we're going," I said, as I pulled out a shirt and pair of jeans. I jumped as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Would you _stop_ scaring me like that?"

"But it's, ah, fun," he giggled, nuzzling my neck.

I smiled as I turned his arms, wrapping mine around his neck. "You're my personal joker," I told him.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and then the smile returned to his eyes. "I'm, ah, curious. Did you dream last night?"

My grin failed to remain where it was.

The Joker turned his head slightly, his eyes catching mine. "I'd take that as a, ah, a 'yes'."

"I don't want to talk about it," I told him, pulling away from him and grabbing my clothes. I retreated toward my side of the bed, but he followed me. Glancing at him and at the door, I measured how fast I was supposed to move to get out before he intercepted me.

"Don't even, ah, bother, Shadow," the Joker told me.

I grinned. "Did you forget…that I had a certain _shadowing_ ability?" I asked him.

The Joker ran for the door, but I shadowed there first and managed to slip out, closing the door behind me before he stopped me.

I leaned against the door, smiling. Boy, the Joker could be so fun to play with like that. I didn't hear him colliding with the door so he wasn't going _too_ fast. Tucking my clothing underneath my arm, I headed toward the bathroom.

As I passed through the living room, I felt that icy stare on me, but I ignored the Scarecrow, pretending he wasn't even there. I changed in the bathroom and came out with the Joker's jacket on me again. I just liked it too much; I wondered if he would fight me for it.

I went into the kitchen where I found Teresa packing a small cooler. "Where are we going at three in the morning, Teresa?" I asked.

"The beach," she told me. I raised an eyebrow, and she turned in time to see it. "We have a reason to get you and Jon out of Gotham, Shadow. Jon needs to get out while the police are crazy, and we need to get you out before Gordon calls you in to help with the investigation."

"What about the Joker?" I asked, curious.

Teresa stopped packing a bag of cookies to look at me. "I thought the change of scene might be…_exciting_ for him. I'd ask him when was the last time he actually enjoyed doing something else other than killing people and blowing things up."

"And playing with fire," I murmured under my breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." I motioned to the cooler. "Need help?"

"No, I'm just about done. Is the Joker dressed yet?"

"I'll go look," I sighed as I left the kitchen.

The Joker had joined Crane in the living room, but he sat in a chair opposite the couch. To think that these two murderers could look like normal civilians was surprising. Both of them were wearing jeans and sneakers – where the Joker found a pair that fit him, I don't know. Crane wore his glasses, and his hair was sleek and wet. He wore a plain gray shirt with his jacket over it. However, the Joker still wore his hair down, but he had on a green shirt with a blue vest over it.

They looked at me when I entered the room, and I placed a hand on my hip. "Casually dressed murderers, I find it amusing," I told them.

"You're not laughing though," Crane said.

"Not even smiling," the Joker added. He stood up, but I motioned him to sit back down. A curious expression appeared on his face as he obeyed. I went into my room quickly and grabbed an elastic band. I returned, coming up behind the Joker and grabbing his clean hair, pulling it back so I could put it into a tail.

Crane raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he said.

"Yeah, really," the Joker responded.

"All right," Teresa began as she entered the room. She glanced at the Joker and smiled. "You actually look human." The Joker glared at her. "What's everyone's name? Mine's Alexis Paige." I noticed Crane's lips twitch at that.

"Murphy Kane," Crane said, causing Teresa's lips to twitch.

"Jack Napier," the Joker responded.

I tried to keep from smiling. "I'm stuck with Jane McKinley, but I'd like to use Jill as the first name."

The Joker saw the joke and burst out laughing. "Jack and, ah, Jill!"

Teresa clapped her hands together. "Murphy, take the cooler. Shadow, get the towels. We're leaving."

"Where, ah, are we going?" the Joker asked, excitedly.

I grinned at him. "The beach." He bounced to his feet and hugged me tightly. Again, I was positive that I could feel his wild energy pulsing through his body.

"Let go of me," I laughed, trying to pull out of his embrace.

The Joker laughed at my attempt as he tightened his grip.

Teresa rolled her eyes. "Jack, she needs to get the towels."

"_You_ go, ah, and get them," the Joker growled at her, his mood changing suddenly. Teresa matched his glare, but she couldn't hold against his for longer than a few seconds. She looked away rolling her eyes.

"They're in the closet by the bathroom," I told her. Once Teresa had moved away with Crane, the Joker leaned in and kissed me. I smacked his cheek playfully. "You're to behave yourself, Heath," I whispered to him as I pulled away. "You're not the Joker, a mass-murdering Clown Prince of Crime."

His shoulders slumped for a moment, and then he cheered up. "It's been _years_, ah, since I last went to the beach."

"How many, may I ask?"

The Joker thought for a moment. "The last time was…our field trip to the beach, months before the one at the amusement park."

I remembered that one. "Where I lost my camera because you happened to be wearing it when you went into the ocean?"

The Joker laughed. "I bought you a, ah, a new one to make up for it."

I smiled and kissed him lightly. "And I still have that camera too," I told him. I pulled out of his arms and walked into my bedroom, shrugging off his purple jacket and leaving it on the bed with the rest of his criminal suit. I went into one of my desk drawers and took out my camera; the one Heath had bought me more than ten years ago. I came out and snapped a quick picture of him before he could move.

The Joker growled, lunging for me, but I laughed as I skipped out of reach, racing for the door. Teresa and Crane waited for us right outside of the door, and while Teresa looked surprised, Crane was smiling, probably finding the Joker's reaction to me interesting.

"We'll meet you two outside," I told them as I ran past them, racing down the hallway with the Joker hot on my heels. I managed to race down the stairs, two steps at a time, without bouncing on the landing. I just ran, laughing with my beloved puppy that couldn't help stopping to bounce on the landing before chasing me down the next flight.

I slid at the bottom of the stairs and raced down the hallway beside the stairs before the Joker could see me disappear. I stopped and crouched, hiding and waiting for him to reach the bottom.

He came a few seconds later, skidding to a halt and breathing heavily. The Joker, my Heath, looked around the lobby, trying to find me, but I shadowed outside and waved at him from the door. He glared at me and then came out. When he tried to grab me, I shadowed back inside, waited until he turned in my direction, and then shadowed into the backseat.

I unlocked the car from inside, and the Joker climbed in as Teresa and Crane came out of the apartment building. They got into the front seats, and the Joker and I only grinned at one another as we tried to calm our fast breathing.

Teresa drove out of Gotham, and I watched from the window as the criminal-infested city gradually grew more distant. I felt the Joker's hand on my leg, and I placed mine on his, sliding my fingertip along one of his fingers.

"How, ah, long will the drive be?" the Joker asked. I glanced at him, feeling like I didn't have much of a right to call him 'the Joker' when he was dressed like Heath and certainly not _acting_ like the Joker.

"It will take five hours," Crane answered. I turned my head, and my eyes met his icy blue ones. Oh, great…we were going to start _this_ again.

As my breathing calmed and the adrenaline faded, I began to feel tired. With only a few hours of sleep, it was no surprise that I was exhausted. I changed to the middle seat so then I could lean against Heath as I took a nap. He wrapped an arm around me as I settled into a comfortable position, resting my head on his shoulder and closing my eyes.

I drifted in and out of awareness. If I was unconscious, I saw the Joker facing Heath Ledger in the dark alley. If I was awake, I heard Heath talking to Crane.

At six twenty, my cell went off, and Heath shook me awake to answer it.

"Yes, Gordon?" I answered, trying not to sound tired.

"_You're up?"_ he asked. _"Can you come down to the MCU?"_

"I'm sorry, Gordon, but I can't. A friend of mine had an emergency so I'm headed toward her now." Teresa grinned at me in the rearview mirror; I stuck my tongue out at her.

"_Oh, all right. Hope she's well."_

"Yeah…" He had hung up. I closed the cell phone and resettled against my puppy.

"Was it about Jon?" Teresa asked.

"He didn't give me time to ask," I answered as I closed my eyes.

A few minutes later, my cell rang again. I grudgingly opened it and put it to my ear. "Hello?"

"_Morning, Shadow."_ I snapped open my eyes, startled. It was Dean!

"How did you get my number?" I demanded, sitting up sharply. With my sudden movement, I awoke the Joker, and to get away from him, I moved into the window seat, placing my finger in my open ear.

"_Didn't I ask you what your number was?"_ Dean asked, innocently.

"No, you sneak; you must have taken my cell to figure it out."

"_I am good with technology, Shadow."_ Dean chuckled. _"Now I know how to talk to you. You don't like texting, do you?"_

"What?"

"_Texting…I texted you quite a few times."_

I rubbed my eyes. How did he get my number and why was he calling me now? "Listen, I can't talk to you right now. I have company."

"_C'mon, Shadow. Talk to me. I'm supposed to be your 'boyfriend', after all."_

I groaned. Why had I claimed him to be my alias's boyfriend? Oh right, to keep my cover from being blown and to protect my relationship with the Joker.

"Listen, I don't want to talk to you right now. I'm busy."

"_Are you mad at me?"_

"No, I'm not. I just…can't."

"_But you are right now."_

Oh, Dean could be so annoying. I glanced over at the Joker, seeing how he was narrowing his eyes at me, as if he was trying to listen to the conversation. Then, I realized that I had put my cell phone to my right ear, the one with the mic in it. Great, the Joker's suspicions that I was only using him were back. I wanted to change ears, but I knew that if I did, he'd be even more suspicious.

"Dean," I sighed, figuring that the Joker already knew who I was talking to, "I don't _have_ to talk to you. You're only a friend, after all." I kept my eyes on the Joker, seeing how his anger was gradually showing on his face. "Why are you calling me anyway?"

"_Just wondering who you were. I haven't seen you since before yesterday."_

"Are you going to have a convulsion if you don't see me?"

"_No, I was just wondering. Besides, we both gonna play the part of boyfriend and girlfriend thing."_

"I'm busy, Dean. I'm actually outta town right now."

"_Oh, that's fine. Hey, is your 'company' my boss?"_

I couldn't help but smile. He was so _slow_. "You still consider him your boss."

"_Well, I don't have any other job at the moment, especially since you're outta town right now. I'm just bored. Does the boss want me to do anything?"_

"Go jump off a cliff," the Joker murmured, and I struggled to stop myself from laughing.

"I don't know. Let me ask him." I covered the mouthpiece of my phone and glared at the Joker. "Give him something to do, _other_ than killing himself."

"Tell him to, ah, to ask Peter to kill him."

"Har har, Jack," I told him. "Do you want him to send a message to any of your men?"

"Yes," the Joker said, "Tell him to tell my men to kill him."

I smacked his cheek hard. "All right, anything else that doesn't have anything to do with killing Dean?" I demanded.

The Joker shook his head, his eyes hard.

I sighed and rolled my eyes as I uncovered the mouthpiece. "Before I tell you what he said-."

"_Did he want me killed?"_

"Basically," I said, glaring over at the Joker who didn't look happy at all. He must have figured that Dean was too intelligent. "I have to ask quickly. What's on the news?"

"_The breakout of the Scarecrow,"_ Dean answered, truthfully. _"Why?"_

"Well, your instructions from _me_…" I saw the Joker huff as he crossed his arms, and I stuck my tongue out at him. "Are to find your boss's men and just keep them from getting caught, meaning _don't let them outside._"

"_I'm sure they'll take _that_ well."_

"I don't care what they think or not. They've got to stay out of the reach of the police. The Joker doesn't need to go out for more men after getting new ones _three_ days ago."

"_You know, I _could_ go and find some more since he's down to four."_

I counted the Joker's men on my fingers. "No, he's got five."

"_At this rate, with how much he wants me dead, I'd just say four."_

I rolled my eyes. He was just as difficult as the Joker. Why did they have so many similarities? Was it because they were both actors or was Dean acting like the Joker on purpose, to try to win me over? If it was the latter, I was going to have to give Dean a piece of my mind.

"Bye, Dean," I said, impatiently.

"_Bye, Shadow."_ He hung up quickly, probably realizing by my tone that it would be a good idea not to push me off the edge that I was on.

I snapped the cell closed, and then I blinked. "Um, who picked up my cell last night?" I asked.

"I did," Crane answered.

"Who was it?"

"A man named Shaun," he answered, sounding faintly amused.

I stared at my cell and opened it to check the recent calls. I swore when I saw Shaun's name on the list. "I only gave my code number to a few people," I said, angrily.

"To whom?" the Joker asked, curious about my reaction to who had been on my calls.

"Catwoman, who probably gave it to Poison Ivy, Gordon, and then Teresa. Only four should know."

"I, ah, know yours."

"I _know_ that; you kept snatching it from me so I'm not surprised." I rubbed my brow where a headache was beginning to arise again. "Do I suddenly have a normal number too?"

The Joker took my cell out of my hands, and he started pushing buttons, probably going to bring up something on it. He handed it back to me, and I looked at the screen. He had gone to the settings and there, on the very bottom, was my normal number. And beside it was a check in the box.

I swore again, and then gripped my head as my headache awoke. The Joker pulled me toward him, forcing my head down on his shoulder. He took the cell phone again and closed it, placing it in his pocket. I sighed and closed my eyes.

What else was I going to do? How did Dean and Shaun get my number?

"Wait a second," I said, "Give back my phone." The Joker looked at me. "Just for a sec."

He pulled it out and handed it to me. I went down into the phonebook, and my eyes widened. I had more contacts than the last time I had seen, and I scrolled down, my eyes widening as I saw Peter, James, Brian, Jon, and Shaun's numbers among the contacts. The Joker's was there too. I didn't see Dean's or Teresa's anywhere, but…_damn_!

There was my cell number, under my criminal name. That could only mean one thing.

Dean had switched his phone with mine!

* * *

**D: Looks like Dean's in for it.**

**NxS: Oh Dean-boy's definitely in for it now. Hehehe... But yay for a trip to the beach :)!**

**D: And yeah, the Joker and Shadow aren't here because they are actually going to the beach so then they can tell me about their adventure with Crane and Teresa so I'll say the line. Don't forget to review. And don't worry, readers, Mistah J will be here on the top author's note in the next chapter for hugs (and kisses for whoever he thought deserved them)  
**


	38. Chapter 38

**D: It is that time, people. Whoever responded to me about the hug thing will get a hug from Mistah J. The poor puppy, I had to brainwash him by giving him several hugs yesterday to get him in the "huggy" mood.**

**Jareth: I stole all of his knives.**

**D: Let me introduce Jareth, the King of the Goblins from Labyrinth. He'll be giving the list of people to come and get a hug.**

**Jareth: I think it's _completely_ ridiculous, but if the Joker's just a bad guy, I thought it'd be funny. Hello, everyone - especially **Sin - **while D goes to get the Joker, I have to talk to **Sin** about something. You didn't respond to the Joker's bargain in the last chapter so you're not getting your promised hug until you read his bargain and give him an answer.**

**D: *drags Joker into the room* All right, fangirls, here he is!**

**Joker: *rubs eyes* I was _sleeping!_**

**D: Sorry, fangirls come first. They're all standing there, waiting. Go and hug 'em.**

**Joker: There's only, ah, six of them.**

**D: NxS and **Sin** are the last people, including me. I warmed you up yesterday, now _get to it!_**

**Joker: *walks over to fangirls with a begging expression on his face* Don't, ah, hurt me. *he leaps at them in turn, hugging them tightly***

**Jareth: Hey! I was supposed to read the list.**

**D: *eyeroll* Go ahead and list them off, Jareth. The Joker's not going to wait for you!**

**Jareth: *pouts* Fine, he hugged: **Sam Wiise Gamjii, LaughingAngelsGibberish, ILoveMistahJ, 07Tazzy92, Scarecrow'sGotMyHeart1, and WolfxAngel**.**

**D: Three more hugs - and possible three _kisses_ - are in order for the next chapter.**

**Joker: *screaming* _I LOVE YOU ALL! GROUP HUG!_**

**D: Oh geez, he's _completely _brainwashed. Never mind, the Joker's still hugging people...many times. Hope that makes my reviewers happy.  
**

* * *

Everyone looked at me with the strangest of expressions. Only Teresa couldn't stare at me because she was the one driving.

I kept swearing, beginning threats and then not finishing them to swear again. The Joker, who had the foulest mouth I've ever known, went pale after hearing some of the words that came out of my mouth, and finally, he clapped his hand over it to shut me up.

Angered by the fact he had cut me off, I bit him.

The Joker growled and threw me down on the backseat. He knocked my cell phone out of my hand, and he held me down, him straddling me. Again, he cupped his hand over my mouth.

My eyes widened. If only he wore a seatbelt…I would have had more time to back up against the window.

The Joker kept his face inches from mine, filling my entire view. "Are, ah, you _finished_?" he demanded in a dangerously low tone.

I swallowed loudly, my eyes transfixed to his. The rage in those menacing eyes scared me. I didn't move, didn't respond. The Joker remained where he was, unmoving. The tension between us crackled throughout the car, but I wasn't thinking of Teresa and Crane, not even close. There was only _one_ person I could focus on and that was Heath.

The Joker started to relax, his breathing becoming heavy. A bead of perspiration appeared on his forehead, as if he was trying to hold on to his anger at me. He gave in though, heaving a sigh as he moved to sit on the seat again.

I pulled myself up and sat next to the window, my eyes fixed on the Joker as he covered his eyes with a hand, propping his elbow on the windowsill.

The fear gradually faded, and I was able to look elsewhere. Crane had his head turned, like he was using the side mirror to watch the Joker while Teresa glanced at her rearview mirror to look at me. I managed a small smile and then looked out the window.

The silence in the car made me nervous, but I was afraid to ask if someone would turn on the radio. Gradually, my anger toward Dean returned.

How did he switch my cell with his? I never handed my phone to him, and I _knew_ he was good with technology. That's why I let him deal with most of the MCU's cameras when we broke out the Joker. When did Dean have time to switch our cell phones?

Next time I saw that boy, I was going to give him a piece of my mind!

"Will, ah, someone turn on the radio?" I turned my head, surprised that, of all people, the Joker had asked.

Crane did it and set the music so it would play only in the back. Apparently, he and Teresa didn't want to focus on the music to distract them from the tension in the backseat.

I leaned my head against the window, watching as the landscape sped past. I grew dizzy watching it at an angle so I closed my eyes, focusing on the music. As I gradually drifted off, my body tingled and went numb.

"Shadow…" I felt the Joker shift to sit next to me, and he pulled my away from the window, holding me tightly. He kissed my forehead and then set himself comfortably.

I only moved my head onto his shoulder before I fell asleep.

Of course, the movement of the car when it transferred from the road to gravel awoke me.

From where I sat, I felt burning warmth on my thighs and left side. My left ear felt like it was charred until a cool hand covered it.

I opened my eyes, surprised to find that I was wearing a baseball cap. My hair had been pulled back into a ponytail to expose my neck to the sun that shown through the car windows.

I lifted my head and blinked.

"We're here," Teresa announced, excitedly. As if to prove her point, she parked the car in a nearby space.

The Joker nudged my in the ribs, and I looked at him. I must have looked tired because he grinned and said, "Maybe, ah, the cold water will wake you up."

I rolled my eyes as he got out of the car. He was excited; it was so obvious with how jumpy he was. I joined him, Crane, and Teresa outside but paused to grab my cell phone from the floor.

It still made no sense to me. If Gordon knew my code number and he had called Dean's phone, wouldn't he have called my cell? Did Dean somehow transfer his information into my phone so then I held mine but had everything of his?

"Are you all right, Jill?" Teresa asked, using the name I wanted.

I shook my head to clear it. "Just thinking, Alexis," I replied, honestly. Teresa held the towels while Crane had the cooler and a book. Since the Joker had raced ahead, Teresa hurried after him, and I was left behind with Crane.

Great, the _last_ person I wanted to be with. But I supposed I had to get used to him. Besides, he was a book reader too; I usually made natural friends with people who read books. I guess I could give him a second chance.

"What's the book?" I asked.

He turned it over, and I realized he had small notepad with a pen as well. "_Psychology_ by David Run," Crane answered. "I found it amongst your books. I hope you don't mind."

"Just don't drop it in the ocean," I said. I felt like I could trust him with a book, more than I could trust Heath with a camera, at least.

"Do you have an interest in psychology, Jill?" Crane asked as we headed toward the wooden bridge that led over a river. Beyond the hill on the other side – I figured – was the ocean.

"I like reading about it," I answered, honestly. I felt small standing next to him; he was _tall_. At least Heath was only two inches taller than me; Crane was a head taller. You would think I might have noticed that with Teresa, but for some reason, it just didn't click like that. I liked my five foot five height…unless it was compared to a six-foot-tall guy. "I'm not much into it if I was to study it."

Crane nodded, understandingly. "I've noticed…that I tend to make you uneasy," he began, calmly.

"And I can tell why you scare your guards."

He actually laughed. "Seeing as Teresa, excuse me, _Alexis _is rather fond of you, despite how you two barely know one another. It seems safe to predict that you and I will be seeing each other often." Crane jerked his chin in the Joker's direction. "Same with Jack."

I glanced in the Joker's direction, seeing him lean against the wooden railing on the bridge, waiting with Teresa. He seemed to be arguing with her over a cap that she wanted him to wear. I grinned; the Joker didn't want to wear it, he was putting up quite a fight.

"You're saying that we should try again on making friends?" I asked, averting my attention back to Crane.

"If not friends, being acquaintances rather than enemies would be preferable."

"Hey, Jill!" Teresa yelled as we neared the bridge. "No one's around. Can you go back to the car and get the two blankets in the trunk?"

I understood what she meant. A chilly breeze blew from the direction of the sea, and since the sun was suddenly covered with clouds, I could guess it was going to be cold, especially after we went into the cold water.

Teresa threw her car keys into the air in my direction. The second I caught them, I shadowed back to the BMW to retrieve the blankets. After locking the door, I shadowed to where Heath, Teresa, and Crane now waited.

I barely had time to toss the keys back to Teresa – as well as hand her the blankets – before the Joker suddenly bumped hard into me. I hit the railing hard, jarring my hip. The Joker laughed as I winced.

"You wanna be rough?" I asked him as I approached. He stopped laughing, noticing the serious tone. "Then, let's be rough." I shoved him so hard that he fell over the railing, splashing into the river. I laughed at him as he broke the surface, gasping for air.

"Keep, ah, laughing, Jill," the Joker yelled up at me. "Jack fell down, but Jill will come _tumbling_ after."

I smirked at him. "Later," I called down, amused, and he laughed as he swam toward the other side. I realized that he would be soaking wet when he got out, and he'd wait for us to reach him. Most likely, he'd hug me and get me wet.

I sighed and took off my sweatshirt as we headed over the bridge. The Joker was climbing out of the water, and he raced up the hill to meet us. I expected him to stop and wait, but…Heath proved to be _unpredictable_.

He ran up the hill to the top and then called down, "The beach is, ah, empty at this section. Come to me, Shadow!"

"You'll hurt me," I yelled back, with an amused tone.

The Joker spread out his arms. "Come, ah, to the top, Shadow," he called. "The view's, ah, _amazing_!" He turned around in a circle before stopping to face us again.

"Underneath the murderer, he actually seems human," Teresa remarked.

I smiled. "He doesn't _seem_, he _is_. Only I can bring out that clown's human side."

"Like I said," Crane mused, "The Joker's capable of caring, but only for one person."

I doubted that, but I didn't say so. There _had_ been one other person Heath had truly cared for, and I wasn't thinking of his ex-wife Jeannie.

"Shadow," the Joker yelled, dropping his arms. "Don't, ah, make me come down there."

I shadowed up to him, and he jumped, startled like he hadn't expected me to obey him. Wrapping my arms around his wet neck, I explained, "I don't want my Jack to fall and break his crown his time."

The Joker recovered from his surprise and wrapped his arms around my waist, grinning. He kissed my cheeks and then asked, excitedly like a little kid, "Can we go?"

I laughed. "Do you want to run or shadow?"

"Running's, ah, more fun."

My grin widened. "Murphy, Alexis, we'll be down in the water. Meet us there." Then, I laughed and broke out of the Joker's grasp, racing down the sand hill. With a few seconds headstart, I reached the bottom and tore off my shoes and socks. I looked up in time to see the Joker slide down to where I was on his back, and I burst out laughing.

The Joker chuckled while he pulled off his wet sneakers and socks. Then, he jumped up and ran for the water. I struggled to breathe as I raced after him.

"No fair!" I yelled. "You can laugh _and_ run at the same time." That only made him laugh harder, but it didn't slow him down in the least.

Putting on a burst of energy, I caught up to the Joker as he changed his laugh to a howl of excitement. I screamed for the heck of it, and then, we reached the water. Plunging into it, I gasped at how cold it was. You would think that the summer sun would warm it a bit, but then, this had proven to be a chilly summer.

I halted when the water was waist deep, but the Joker kept going. "Jack!" I called, laughing.

He turned around, grinning ear-to-ear. A large wave was forming behind him.

"Look out!" I shouted, and the Joker turned in time for it to come crashing down on his head. "Jack!" I had to jump to go over the wave, and then I waded forward, searching for him.

The Joker popped up, spluttering and gasping for air. I reached him and helped him to steady himself.

"Why are you such an idiot?" I sighed.

"Cause," he laughed, spitting more water, "Idiots know how to, ah, to have fun." I smacked his head, and he yelped – me joining him – as another huge wave came crashing down on our heads.

Crane and Teresa joined us later when the sun managed to peek out for a time. They had known that we were going to the beach so they had brought other clothes to change into. Heath and I didn't mind the wet clothes…_yet_. At the most, it would bother me, not the Joker.

We had a picnic lunch on the beach, sitting on the blankets and wrapped in towels, except the Joker.

"I'm curious, Jack," Teresa said, "Do you _not_ realize that it's chilly?"

The Joker shrugged as he reached for the bag of chips. "I know, ah, that it's chilly; it just doesn't bother me."

"Just like everything else," I murmured, and Heath smacked my cheek playfully.

"_You_ bother me," the Joker retorted, shoving a chip in my mouth.

I chewed it slowly, grinning at him, causing him to frown. After I swallowed it, I said, "The one you care about _has_ to bother you. Bothering is caring." He chuckled and leaned in to kiss my neck. "And you _certainly_ don't care about acting differently in public."

"You call us _public_?" Crane asked, amused, and I laughed.

"Did I insult you?" I asked. I suppose that when he wasn't being all mysterious, I could actually like Crane.

He shook his head as he motioned for the chip bag. I wrestled it from the Joker and managed to give it to Crane in one piece.

"Jack," Crane said suddenly, "If you ever wanted a contest on who could be more affectionous…"

"He'd win," I cut him off. "That's one contest you shouldn't even _try_ against him." The Joker poked me hard in the ribs. "It's _true_!"

"You ruin, ah, my fun, you know that."

I grinned and kissed him lightly. "It's good for you since you haven't had a knack at Batman in awhile."

"Leave him outta this," the Joker growled. I rolled my eyes.

"Are you mad at him?" Teresa asked, feeding Crane a chip. I tried not to laugh. With the Joker and I openly showing our affection, Crane and Teresa felt more comfortable to let theirs show. Besides, the Joker was revealing a hidden side of himself that hadn't shown since his right scar had completed his Glasgow smile.

The Joker took a large bite of his sandwich so then he couldn't answer, and he slapped a hand over my mouth when I opened it to speak.

Crane's mouth turned up in a smirk, and I glared at him. There would always be one thing about him that I would never like and that was his neverending "researching".

More people arrived after noon, and they only seemed to made the Joker edgy, but more in a showoff mood.

"C'mon, Jill," the Joker whined. I shook my head, wrapping my towel tighter around me. "Why not?"

"You play rough, and I'm not to play rough in _public_."

He pouted, but I ignored him by lying down. "How, ah, 'bout you, Teresa? Give Jill and Murphy time to, ah, to _bond_." I gritted my teeth; the Joker had noticed my attempt to get to know Crane.

"Depends on what you're going to do," Teresa answered. "I'm not jumping into the water like a maniac. You can do _that_ with Jill."

The Joker pointed in the direction of a group of young adults who were setting up a volleyball net. I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, if I do the asking. Your face might scare people."

"He's gonna play rough," I warned her.

Teresa grinned at me. "You should give Jack something rough to do. He needs to use his energy."

I glared at her, which she ignored as she led the Joker over to the group of young adults. "I bet she _sensed_ that energy of his," I grumbled.

"You don't have to bet," Crane replied, flipping a page in his book. "He's constantly moving."

"Have you watched him when he's on the news?" I demanded. "He's _always_ like that." I covered my eyes with my arm as the sun popped out. "He's such a showoff…"

"I have to ask. Did you know him before he was the Joker?" Crane asked, calmly. I peeked at him, seeing that he had laid his book on his knee.

"Actually, yes," I answered, truthfully. His icy blue stare would have known if I had lied. "We were in middle school together."

"Funny, so was Teresa and I." He grinned when he saw my surprised expression. "I figure that if you're going to be open, it would only be fair if I was too."

I could hear sudden shouts of shock and excitement. Glancing over at the volleyball game, it looked like the team with the Joker had realized how useful he was.

The Joker was serving, and he threw the ball up and slammed it to the other side. A girl squealed as she moved out of the ball's way. The Joker's team screamed as they ran to him to high-five him.

I smiled, remembering what Heath was like during gym. He had always been competitive, and he purposely scared the girls first – until the gym teacher yelled at him for it. As a leading athlete, Heath got called to be one of the captains, and he always tried to call me down from the bleachers, to get me to put down my book. I always refused but thanked him politely before going back to reading.

After a few minutes, Teresa rejoined us. "It was too easy," she boasted, sitting next to Crane and leaning against him. "He's so easily distracted."

"More like he enjoys focusing on a game," I mumbled.

"You should go play, Jill," Crane pressed.

"No, thank you."

"Are you afraid he'll win?" Teresa asked, in a daring tone, smirking.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Alexis," I told her. "Jack can play on his own."

Teresa sighed, disappointed.

"Is he rubbing _off_ on you?" I demanded. She just shook her head with an amused smile. I drifted for awhile, thinking about nothing and listening to the volleyball game.

Of course, my cell phone interrupted me.

I sighed as I grabbed it. "I'll be back," I told Crane and Teresa before heading up the sand hill to the restrooms that awaited on the other side. Only once I stood with my back against the restroom wall did I answer my phone.

"Hello?"

I only heard a beeping noise. Glancing at my phone, curiously, I saw the screen turn red and five seconds showed, and it was counting!

I blinked, and then I did the only thing I could think of: I threw it as hard as I could.

The cell phone spun in the air as it continued to countdown. I watched it, rooted to the spot as it landed in the river. A second after it splashed, an explosion of water burst from the river, making a loud splashing noise and nothing more.

I was lucky that no one was around to have seen the phone explode.

* * *

**Shadow: My cell was a bomb?!**

**Joker: Who, in their right mind, would, ah, give Shadow an exploding cell phone? Are they trying to imitate mine in the movie?**

**NxS: ****Idiot(s)! As if a little thing like that would ever be effecitve. *shakes head* Dean better be on his guard, 'cause he's totally being suspicious right now.**

**D: It's only just begun. The hatred toward Dean was spreading for awhile, but I'm afraid I can't kill him off yet, folks. If anything, Shadow's the one who's going to kill him.**

**Joker: I, ah, wanna kill him.**

**Shadow: I get first dibs.**

**Joker: But you, ah, killed Bob!**

**Shadow: And you killed John and Jon…haha, that sounds funny.**

**Joker: *eyeroll* At this, ah, rate, D, **_**I'm**_** gonna let **Sinario** into the story so then **_**she**_** can kill off Dean.**

**D: NxS, you know what the twist is with Dean; you've got to help me protect him.**

**NxS:*****le sigh* Alright, Dean's just lucky I'm feeling so gracious. *grumble grumble* Oh yeah, don't forget to review peoples! Hopefully you'll all like Dean again.... eventually. Maybe. Possibly. Uh.... REVIEW! *rushes off***


	39. Chapter 39

**D: Puppy's _waiting_ for your response to his bargain so we're stalling your hug. NxS, where are you? Cause you're next.**

**NxS: Get over here puppy! *smiles and opens arms wide***

**Joker: *glares, grudgingly* _Fine_. *goes over and hugs NxS, then pulls away***

**NxS: Back over here! Where's my kiss?!**

**Joker: *growls, goes back and kisses her on the cheek***

**NxS: Aw, was that so hard Puppy? *smiles***

**Joker: *glances at waiting D, gives NxS mouthkiss and runs off***

**D: Hey! I was on the list too! *chases after him***

**NxS: *giggle* On to the story!**

* * *

The water slapped back into the river, and I managed to breathe again.

I was confused. Why was my cell phone a bomb? Did Dean want me dead or something? And to think, he was such a nice guy.

I heard a growl of frustration close by, and I spun around. Something black attacked me and slammed me against the restroom wall. I felt a jarring pain shoot up my spine, and I whimpered in agony.

"Who do you _think_ you are?" I demanded, clenching my teeth in pain.

"I could ask the same of you," a deep voice growled. The voice sounded male, but I didn't recognize it. My attacker slammed my head against the wall, and my eyes watered so I couldn't see his features clearly, though he seemed to have some black mask on that covered his entire face anyway. "You think this is all a game…to kill off the Joker so then whoever you work for will dominate Gotham?"

"What?" Who was this guy, and why did he accuse me of wanting to kill the Joker? "Maybe it's _your_ plan to kill the Joker, but you just want to blame me," I said, accusingly.

"Don't act naïve," he snarled, angrily. "I saw what you did with that bomb."

"I did nothing!" I protested, blinking my eyes to clear them.

He slammed my head against the wall again. "Oh really," he said, in a tone dripping with sarcasm. "So you just _happened_ to throw a bomb into the river to give away the Joker's identity?"

"It wasn't a bomb; it was a cell phone that someone-."

"Shut up, woman! I know it was a cell phone. Your boss, whoever he is, gave it to you so then you could use it against the Joker. That won't happen, not while I'm around to protect him."

I winced as he pressed my head painfully into the wall. "What are you? His bodyguard or something?"

My attacker hit my head again, and I cried out. My vision went black, but I was still conscious.

"I know about your charms, Shadow," the attacker whispered into my ear. "I know about your magic tricks. So far, you have the Joker and his men under your control, but no longer…I will _break _you."

I snapped my leg forward, catching him in the shin. He grunted, but ignored the pain, placing a hand on my throat and applying pressure. Before I could do anything, he used his other hand to slam my head against the wall again. My vision snapped back, but then, he hit my head again, causing red spots to dance in my eyes.

I tried to shadow away from him, but my conscious would not split, like there was some kind of hold that kept them together. I couldn't send my shadow out to warn the Joker. He was the only one I could think of.

Then, an annoying ringing went off in my ears. I tried to cover them, but my attacker held my hands down with his arm. I blinked, seeing past the red spots to see a small handheld instrument in his hand. That most be what was causing my ears to ring.

My attacker pushed a button on the side of the instrument, and the ringing turned into screaming. I opened my mouth to scream in pain, but he slapped a hand over my mouth.

My ears hurt, and I winced with the pain as the screaming rung in my head. A headache arose from the depths of my mind, dulling the screaming but throbbing so hard that it felt like my head was going to burst. I gripped onto my attacker's arm tightly, twisting his arm.

He growled, but kept that instrument close to me.

I clenched my teeth, closing my eyes tightly. The pain spread from my mind to the rest of my body. It rung painfully against everything, making everything ache.

On the edge of unconsciousness, I heard something different…something welcoming…

- "_C'mon, Sara, why won't you join us?"_

"_I don't want to, Heath."_

"_Surely playing kickball is more fun than reading a book. Besides, you can…read some _other_ time, actually whenever you want."_

_I put my book down and glared into those brown eyes. "There is _one_ thing you would never understand about me, Heath, and that's my love for books."_

"_I understand how they, ah, turned you into a _shadow_."_

_I sniffed, irritated with him. "Go play kickball, Heath, and leave me in peace."_

_He grinned, looking so handsome without trying to. Casually, he brushed a bunch of his dirty blond hair out of his face. "Sara, if you're afraid of playing a game in gym-."_

"_I'm _not_!" I snarled at him. "Just go away and leave the _shadow_ alone!"_

_Heath frowned, looking angry. "One of these days, Sara, I swear, I'll make you play a game with a whole group of people, not just me!"_

_I turned my attention back to my book. He stormed off the bleachers, joining his team on the kickball field. Only after he left did I look up. I put a finger in my place and closed the book, watching Heath._

_He stood ready, about to be the first kicker in the game. From the bleachers, I could see that he was shaking with a mixture of energy and anger. He hunched his shoulders and twisted his body, constantly shifting his feet like he couldn't stand still. His eyes seemed to darken, and he looked menacing._

_The wind blew his hair into his face, and he used a trembling hand to brush it back a bit, not completely taking it out of his face._

_I watched, shocked to see this different side of Heath. Looking at him, I actually found that I had a liking for him, a liking that went beyond friendship, but it wasn't love. No, it was admiration. I felt admiration for what Heath could become if he followed through with all the anger and put all of his energy into one thing._

_The pitcher rolled the ball at Heath at a fast speed, but for some reason, everything seemed to have slowed down. I watched Heath as he bounced into the air once, his eyes on the ball, but then, he turned his head to look over at me. His eyes met mine, and a smile appeared upon his angry face. His mouth seemed to stretch beyond the normal limits, and he winked at me._

_The Joker was there…lurking underneath the teenager Heath, I realized with a jolt._

_Heath turned his head back to the ball that seemed to have just left the pitcher's hand, and he watched it for awhile before glancing over at me again._

"_For you, Shadow," he mouthed, and then he turned his attention back to the ball. It was coming toward him at a faster pace, like time was beginning to return to normal. Heath bounced up and down twice and then started walking toward the ball. Then, I saw him lift a foot higher than usual, and he bounced on his back foot. He repeated this, hunched shoulders with a wide grin on his face._

_Heath had formed the Joker's "skipwalk" within those long seconds. He "skipwalked" toward the ball and then bounced once before swinging his leg to have his foot connect with the ball, slipping underneath it and smacking it with a loud _crack_._

_Time returned to normal, and the ball soared up into the air, out into the field. I watched as Heath's team cheered him on as he raced around the bases. He ran around them twice and then bounced into home. With two points in the start of the game, Heath's team jumped on him, high-fiving and clapping him on the back._

_His smile was wide with his team members, but not as wide as when he had met my eyes._ –

"Shadow? Shadow!"

I opened my eyes, finding myself on the ground. Three blurry figures hovered over me, one of them crouching beside me. I tried squinting to clear my vision, but it only made my head ache.

I looked up at the one crouching beside me.

"Why _hello_, beautiful…" I smiled, weakly. I could recognize _that_ voice anywhere, especially the sense of humor. "Did, ah, your phone attack you?"

"Close," I murmured, and then winced as my head throbbed painfully. "My phone…it turned out to be a bomb."

"A what?"

"You heard me," I mumbled, closing my head to ease the pain in my head.

"Hey, look at me." I forced my eyes open, and a strange blurry expression appeared on the Joker's face. "Never mind, close, ah, your eyes."

"Why? Is something wrong with them?"

He hesitated. "Don't, ah, worry about it, Sha-I mean, Jane."

"Jack…" I grabbed his arm before he could move away. "It's Jill…"

"Jill then," the Joker corrected himself, moving away.

"Wait…" I murmured, feeling like my mouth was going numb, making it hard to talk.

"Jack, you should explain to her what Murphy had to do," Teresa's voice said, coming from the blurry figure on the left.

The Joker sighed and crouched back down, but then he simply sat down next to me, cross-legged. He leaned over me, brushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"Should we call an ambulance?" someone asked. I moved my head a little to see a group of people coming down the sand hill toward us.

Teresa and whom I thought was Crane moved to intercept them.

I exhaled, feeling like I had been run over by a truck. My whole body ached, and my head still rung, with the throbbing on top of it. I shivered as a cool breeze blew over me, and the Joker placed a blanket over me, tucking it around me so then I'd stay warm.

"I feel…like I've been hit by a truck," I mumbled.

"You certainly, ah, don't_ look_ like it."

I laughed softly, and then cut it off as a shocking pain ran up my spine. Oh great, what did that guy _do_ to me? Did he break my body like he said? I don't see how he could have done that without physically touching me. There was also the problem in the shape of that strange instrument he used on me…

"C'mon, can you, ah, sit up?" The Joker placed a hand on my shoulder and another on my back, but as he started to help me up, I whimpered. "I guess, ah, not." He eased me down again, and then I forced myself to speak.

"Jack…"

"What, Tiger?"

"My vision's not clearing. It's…been blurry for too long."

The Joker shifted over to my head and began to probe it. His fingers were gentle as they roamed my head, pressing at certain parts. When he touched a sore spot, I whimpered. "There?" he asked, and I nodded. "I'm sorry, Shadow, but since, ah, we're trying to avoid going to, ah, to the hospital…" He smashed a fist down on the sore spot.

I cried out in pain, my eyes watering up instantly. Waves of agony flooded throughout my head, and I was only slightly aware of the Joker embracing me, carefully muffling my sobbing so that I didn't attract anymore unwanted attention.

"I hate you…" I sobbed.

"I know," the Joker said, calmly. "How's, ah, the vision?"

"I…don't know since there's tears in the…way." He wiped them out of my eyes with his thumb, with an ever so gentle touch. "Better," I murmured.

Crane appeared, and I was so relieved to actually be able to see his face clearly. "Jack, Alexis is getting the car, but she obviously can't bring it over the bridge. Can you carry her or do you need help?"

The Joker, still holding me, got to his knees and then changed his arm positions, slipping under my neck and my legs. He grunted as he lifted me, and I bit my lower lip as pain shot down my spine. The Joker shifted me again until he held me comfortably.

Crane grabbed whatever was left of our things and then led the Joker over the bridge, making sure he had enough room to carry me. Luckily, most of the people were still on the beach on the other side of the sand hill so then they didn't see.

"I have…the worst of luck," I murmured.

"I'll have to, ah, to disagree with that, Shadow," the Joker said.

"You can't…" I paused for breath. Why was I so short of breath? "…Disagree until you know…what happened."

"I can guess."

"No, you don't…understand, Jack." The Joker only glanced at me before we got close enough to the car. With Crane's help, the Joker managed to slip me into the backseat, and he went around, sitting near my head so that I could place my head on his lap.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, "For ruining the trip."

"We still had fun, Shadow," Teresa said. She was sitting in the passenger's seat so Crane was the one driving. She turned in her seat so then she could look at me. "We were going to leave in an hour or two anyway." I shivered, curling up and moving closer to the Joker. "Check if she has a fever, Jack."

"The name returns, _Teresa_," the Joker growled, but he placed his hand on my forehead. "She feels, ah, warm."

"Cold bath when you get home, Shadow," Teresa said. I shivered again at the thought of it.

"Why are you forcing her to get better so fast?" Crane asked.

Teresa looked at him. "Think of the story she gave Gordon. Will she get sick when she goes to her friend's?"

"She could, technically."

"_Jon!"_

"I'm just telling you," Crane gave in, lifting a hand as if to protect himself or to give up.

"What happened to you, Shadow?" Teresa asked.

"I went…to answer my phone but it made this beeping noise. The screen turned…red and started counting down from five seconds. I threw…it into the river where it exploded, and then this…stranger attacked me-."

"What?" the Joker jumped.

"I don't know…who he was, but he claimed he was Mister J's…bodyguard or something…and he was upset with me, claiming I was trying to…blow the Joker's identity and get him…killed." I stopped, concentrating on my breathing while Teresa questioned the Joker.

"Do you have any men who have a certain attachment to you?" she demanded.

"No," the Joker answered, "I have five men" - I jerked – "Yes, _five_, Shadow, since you won't let me, ah, kill Dean-."

"You can…go ahead and kill him next time you…see him."

The Joker looked at me in surprise. "_Seriously_? Are you feeling, ah, all right, Shadow?"

"No…"

"Then, I won't, ah, take what you said _seriously_, despite how much I want to." He looked at Teresa. "What was I, ah, saying?"

"Five men," I reminded him.

"Oh, yes, ah, five men, four of them are new. I've, ah, kept one for awhile, I don't know how long, because his _usefulness_ hasn't proven _useless_ yet."

"What's his name?" Teresa asked. The Joker turned his head slightly to the side, keeping his eyes on Teresa's. "You don't have to reveal anything, but most likely, I'll figure it out. Remember, I can turn invisible. I could sneak over to your apartment."

"Have fun, ah, _finding_ it."

"I'll have Shadow help me."

"I don't know…where his new apartment is," I put in. She glanced at me, shaking her head, disappointedly. She probably thought she could hide it, but a look of fear crossed her face before she shook her head at me. "It was _his_ idea," I protested, my headache reawakening and distracting me from asking Teresa why she had given me the fearful look, "And he wasn't giving me an alternative."

Teresa shook her head, disappointedly at the Joker. "I'm disappointed in you, Mister J."

The Joker glared at her. "I can, ah, tell," he said.

Her face brightened. "You don't mind me calling you 'Mister J'?"

The Joker continued to glare at her.

Before he decided to hurt her, or something, I asked, "Crane, do you mind if I start calling you 'Jon'?"

"No, it's fine," Crane answered. He looked at me in the rearview mirror with an amused expression.

"Jon's easygoing," Teresa said with an affectionate glance at Crane. "I wonder if Mister J is too."

The Joker didn't look happy. "Are you my girl?" he asked, seriously.

"No," Teresa replied with a snort.

"Then, my answer is: no. Only Shadow can use 'Mister J'."

I smiled as Teresa's face fell. "Joker, you should be nicer," I scolded him.

He ignored me, obviously knowing that I wasn't really mad at him.

My head throbbed, and I decided to give in to the pain. I closed my eyes as I snuggled closer to the Joker without hurting my aching back.

"When are you going to tell her?" Teresa asked in a whisper.

"After she, ah, recovers from whatever her attacker did to her," the Joker replied, sliding his hand through my hair, caressing my forehead. He may not know it, but his caressing helped ease the throbbing enough so then I could drift off into dreamland.

* * *

**Joker: I wanna know who hurt Shadow!**

**D: He's so mad; he didn't pause to say 'ah'.**

**NxS: Puppy's so funny.**

**Joker: *angrily* It's not funny that Shadow's having some strange sickness because some random guy tortured her or something.**

**NxS: ****We'll deal with him soon enough. *cracks knuckles***

**Shadow: I'd like to know who did that too, but I also want to know what Mistah J has to tell me.**

**D: Don't worry, it'll be in the next chapter, Shadow.**

**NxS: Don't forget to review!**


	40. Chapter 40

**D: There are more hugs to give out. The Joker has agreed to give **07Tazzy92 **another hug cause it was her birthday two days ago when I had uploaded chapter 39. *Joker grabs **07Tazzy92** and hugs her tightly* And I have to mention that **ILoveMistahJ**, you're on the right track. I've seen the movie _Jumper_ and that's basically where I got the idea for the guy to stop Shadow from using her ability.**

**NxS: And thank you, **Scarecrow'sGotMyHeart1**, for the hug. Know that I'm a big Scarecrow fan.  
**

**D: Anyway, **Sinario** is alive.**

**Joker: Wish she had, ah, _drowned_ in the ocean.**

**NxS: *smacks his nose* Be good, puppy, you still have to hug her.**

**Joker: No kiss though, and **Sinario**, you're gonna have to, ah, to _fight_ me _and_ NxS for your "baby".** **Oh, ah, didn't you know that I used your mother's cat to get to Nessa? *laughs***

**D: All right, Joker the Obnoxious Pomeranian-.**

**Joker: NO! I'm not, ah, hugging **Sin **if that's what you're going to call me.**

**NxS: I think it has a good ring to it.**

**Joker: _Damn_ you all! *storms outta the room***

**D: **Sinario**, you might need to chase after him for the hug...or you can wait until he calms down.**

**NxS: *whisper* I'd go with the latter. On to the story!  
**

* * *

I awoke to the bright light that was switched on in my apartment. My body was curled up, wrapped in the blanket that Heath had tucked around me much earlier. I forced open my eyes despite the sleep in them, and at first, the light hurt them. They adjusted, and I realized that most of my view was of the Joker's chest.

The Joker felt my head moving so he glanced at me. "Go back to sleep," he whispered. I shook my head, moving slowly with exhaustion. Then, I looked to where we were going.

The Joker brought me to the couch, laying me down gently.

"You can sleep in her bed," Teresa's voice protested.

"She'll be fine here too." The Joker sounded too human without his natural pause. He propped my head with a few pillows. I tried to free my arms from the blanket, but I was so tired that I couldn't seem to figure it out. The Joker saw my attempts, and he freed me wordlessly.

"Heath," I murmured, and he placed his hand on my forehead.

"Sleep, my Shadow," he whispered, "Rest and recover."

"Do you want us to-?"

"No, Raven, you and Scarecrow can sleep in the bedroom. I'll stay here with her." I saw Heath in my tired vision; there was no Clown Prince of Crime. This was my Heath from when I first met him, however _irritating_ he had been.

He didn't speak until he heard the bedroom door close. "Do you…remember when we first met?" he asked, caressing my forehead with his thumb.

"I was just…thinking about it," I answered.

A smile appeared on his face, but it wasn't the Joker's Glasgow grin; it was Heath's gentle smile. "Did I…annoy you when I asked you about your book?"

"No, I was too scared."

"The things people only admit years later," Heath joked, and I smiled. "Let's see if you remember everything."

"I remember…" I thought for a few moments. "I was reading at lunch when the next thing I knew, you were sitting opposite me."

"I scared you."

"I know, I jumped. Then, I tried ignoring you, thinking you were going to talk to someone down the table, but _no_, the first thing you do is ask me if the book I was reading was good."

"I had seen someone…_else's_ attempts at trying to make conversation with you, Sara."

"Oh really? Who's?"

He shrugged. "A few…friends'." I wondered why he had paused before saying 'friends'. Back in middle school, he had tons of friends…unless he meant that none of them were close enough to be considered _real_ friends. "Go on. What else?" he prompted.

"I told you that it was good, and a few seconds later, you asked what the name was."

"_Berry Tucker_ by Joshua Johnson, if I remember correctly."

I chuckled softly. "You asked if it was about someone named Berry Tucker."

He licked his lips in thought. "And I was wrong. It was…about a magic _river_ that helped white slaves. It was a, ah, a science fiction of a world where the ranks of whites and blacks were reversed."

"I don't understand, Heath. Do you _pretend_ to have a bad memory as the Joker?"

"_Pretending_ is part of being an _unpredictable actor_, dear Shadow." He brushed my hair back and tilted his head so then he didn't seem sideways. "I thought, ah, you _knew_ that since you tend to be an _unpredictable actress_, without even _meaning_ to."

I shrugged and reached a hand out to his face. My fingertips brushed his left scar, and his lips twitched. He caught my hand gently and leaned forward, kissing me.

"Get some rest, Shadow," the Joker whispered with a sigh. "Today was, ah, eventful, and you've, ah, been through a great deal."

"There's still the matter you need to tell me," I pointed out, yawning.

The Joker smacked his lips. "You, ah, _remembered_…" He sighed again.

"What? Did you think I'd leave you alone about that?" I demanded, quietly.

"You lied to, ah, to Dean about being a person who didn't press unless, ah, it was necessary."

"Like _you've_ never lied before," I snapped. My forced anger was shattered by a huge yawn.

"I, ah, think I could see the chip I fed you earlier," the Joker giggled. I hit his shoulder, but since I was tired, it was nothing more than a light smack. "Sleep, Shadow, I'll be right here."

"All night?" I yawned.

"All night," he promised. I adjusted my head and closed my eyes. The Joker began to caress my forehead again, this time humming a tuneless song. The sound of his calm yet energetic hum rung gently in my ears, and it was what I fell asleep to, falling into a dreamless sleep that did not end until I heard a loud crash in the kitchen.

There was a yelp right by my ear, and I opened my eyes. The Joker jumped to his feet just as Crane's voice called, "It's all right, nothing's broken."

I groaned as I realized that I had sunlight in my eyes. Covering my head with the blanket, I squirmed into a better position. Of course, the blanket was suddenly removed from my head.

"Good _morning_, sunshine," the Joker greeted, cheerfully. "The city says _hello_!"

I only moaned in response, turning my back on him. Why the heck did he make his own version of Willy Wonka's saying, "Good morning, sunshine. The _earth_ says hello."

He rolled me back, and I slapped him. The Joker yelped again but then smacked me back, gently.

"I, ah, don't think I deserved that, Shadow."

"Don't touch me then," I growled.

"The tiger, ah, is waking up."

"And the puppy hasn't realized that he's in danger."

The Joker giggled. "The only danger I'm in is the danger of being _mauled_ by the tiger, and I've survived that already."

"What if I used a hammer?"

He grinned and bounced to his feet. "It would, ah, _definitely_ hurt."

Just then, Teresa appeared in the kitchen doorway. "How ya feeling, Shadow?"

"Sore," I winced as I tried to sit up. My muscles twanged, and I fell back down. Lifting a hand, I saw that it was trembling. "What did that guy _do_?"

The Joker helped me sit up, and then, he sat on the arm of the couch, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Do you, ah, remember-?"

"Questions come _after_ she's eaten," Teresa cut him off, pointing a spatula at him as if it was going to hurt him from across the room.

"Who do you, ah, _think_ you are? Her mother?" he demanded.

Teresa gave him a look. "Well, since you're not playing your part as her _boyfriend_, Mister J-."

"Only Shadow-!"

"And I say she can call you that too," I cut him off. "She just can't use my levels."

"Your levels?" Teresa asked sounding mildly amused.

"Depending on my mood toward him, I give him a different name," I explained. "Mistah J is when I'm happy, Mister J when I'm neutral, and Joker for when I'm mad at him; something along those lines." I reached up and caressed his scars. Under my touch, he stiffened. "I suppose I _do_ have more control over him than I think I do. Puppy's so deceiving."

"Speak for yourself, Tiger," the Joker growled, pulling away from my touch.

"And of course, the nickname of 'puppy' is not allowed to be used by anyone, except me," I added, giving Teresa a look. She nodded, understandingly.

Then, the Joker sniffed the air. "What's Scarecrow cooking?"

"Food," Teresa answered, with an amused grin.

The Joker gave her a look. "What _kind_ of food?"

"_Edible_ food," I said, and started laughing as he cuffed me gently. It seemed like my argument for a gentler boyfriend worked. He was rough, but not as much as he had been before. I didn't want to be in an abusive relationship with the Joker, especially when I know the human side of him so well.

Then, the smell of what Crane was cooking reached my nose. "Hash brown," I said, startled. "I _love_ hash browns!"

"So much for guessing that one," Crane replied from the kitchen, and I laughed.

"You still need to guess my true name," I told him. Then, I glanced warily at the Joker, wondering if he had said it loud enough last night for Crane to hear.

"Well, I know that Jane and Jill are not your name. Teresa, give this to the nameless person on the couch."

"Which one?" Teresa asked, teasingly. "We don't know the Joker's name either."

"Mistah J is close enough."

The Joker's face smacked into his palm.

"That sounded like it hurt," I remarked, thanking Teresa as she handed me my plate. Looking at it, I was in love. Hash browns, sausages, and eggs…I tried a bit of each, loving the yummy taste. "My compliments to the chef," I called.

Crane laughed from the kitchen.

Behind me, the Joker slumped as Teresa handed him his food. "Do I have a, ah, a competitor?" he asked, glumly.

"Jon will always be Teresa's," I told him. Then, I realized what he meant. "Your pancakes win the prize though." That cheered him up, and he dug into his food.

Crane and Teresa joined us in the living room, taking either the chair or the table.

"There's more in there in case you want it," Crane said, more to me than the Joker and Teresa.

"Guessing game," I said, excitedly. I winced as I accidentally jarred my back against the Joker.

"Might want to be careful," Crane told me.

"You're just as bad as _he_ was yesterday," Teresa grumbled, jerking her chin in the Joker's direction.

"Maybe it's the adrenaline that comes so that you don't feel the pain," I suggested, taking a bite of sausage. "Go on, Jon. What do you think is the starting letter?"

His icy blue eyes met mine. "I'd have to stick with an S," he said. "It seems to fit you."

"What's, ah, the first guess?" the Joker asked, interested.

"Sabrina?" I shook my head. "Sasha? Sally…Samantha, Sandra…Sara?"

I shook my head, grinning. "You won't be able to guess it." Behind me, the Joker was trying not to give my lie away.

"Is it an exotic name?"

"No, it's common…with different spellings."

"Savannah?"

"Do I _look_ like a Savannah?"

"Sela…Shauna…Sharon, Stephanie…Shelby?" Teresa clapped her hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh. "Shelby?" Crane asked again.

"My name isn't a boy name too," I giggled; I couldn't help myself. The Joker, too, couldn't hold back his laughter.

"I said it already, didn't I?" The three of us shook our heads. "I know when Teresa lies so I know all of you are lying." He watched me closely as he repeated all the names he had said, but I kept laughing and shaking my head.

"Just give up, Scarecrow," the Joker told him. "When she's, ah, on a roll, no one's going to find out whether or not she's bluffing."

"I'm going to get it," Crane insisted and Teresa patted his knee consolingly. He rolled his eyes at her..

"You, ah, have only a bit better chance guessing her name than mine."

"There's no point with you. Like all criminals, you're a master of lies."

"I'm, ah, the _Father_ of Lies."

"That's the Devil," Crane deadpanned with a wry smile.

The Joker outstretched his arms, balancing his food plate on his leg. "The Devil, ah, in human form," he insisted.

"What's that make me?" I demanded. "Last time I checked, the Devil didn't have a girlfriend."

"Sure he does." The Joker bent over and kissed my neck. "Her name's _Chaos_." I giggled as he blew gently over my neck, tickling me.

"I'll guess some other time," Crane said. "We need to figure out who attacked Shadow, and what he did to her?"

The Joker shifted on the couch arm, uneasily.

"Hm…" I tried to remember what happened. "What did I tell you already?"

"You told us, ah, about what he said," the Joker answered.

"What did he look like?" Teresa asked.

"I couldn't see his face. He was wearing a mask, dressed in black-." The Joker stiffened. "It wasn't Batman. This guy wore a ski mask or something close to that."

"I wasn't, ah, thinking it was the bat."

"Go on, Shadow," Crane pressed, leaning forward, interested.

I thought. "He had this little instrument. I think it was the thing that made my head start ringing. Somehow, the pain simply spread, and I must've lost consciousness. The next thing I know, I was remembering something…"

"A memory?" Teresa asked, curiously.

"Yeah…" I twisted to look up at the Joker who was staring at me intensively. "The kickball game…" His eyes widened. "But then, Mister J brought me around."

I heard Teresa exhale loudly, and I glanced over at her, curiously.

"You gonna tell her, Mister J?" Teresa asked.

I turned my head to see what the Joker did. He glanced at me, saw me staring at him, and shuddered. My eyebrows lowered. Was there something on my face that would cause him to shudder?

The Joker stood slowly and turned to face me. I realized that he had changed back into his signature suit, including the jacket, but he hadn't buttoned up his vest and his tie simply wasn't there.

"I think, ah, it would be better if you say for yourself," he said, holding out his hands. I took them and got to my feet slowly to avoid hurting myself. The Joker wrapped an arm around my waist to support me as he led me into the bathroom.

He stopped me in the doorway. "Stay here," he ordered as he released me. I put a hand on the doorframe while the Joker moved in, putting away everything from the counter. I wondered why, and I asked him.

"I, ah, don't want you to overreact and accidentally, ah, hurt yourself," the Joker replied, putting away a pair of nail clippers. He slammed close the last drawer and looked at me seriously. "I think, ah, we just need _one_ person looking like a clown in this relationship."

I started laughing, despite his serious expression. "Why so serious, Mistah J?" I asked, laughing harder. "I always wanted to ask you that."

"Now you have, and you'll, ah, _see_ my answer." He motioned me forward, and I went to him. His hands covered my eyes, and he snuck behind me, turning me to face the mirror. "I don't, ah, know what your reaction will be, Shadow, but you've seen everyone else's, mine as well. I want you to, ah, to look and _please_ don't scream." He uncovered my eyes.

I looked at my reflection. My eyes wandered about my face, searching for something wrong. The shape of my face hadn't changed so that couldn't be it. My thin lips and small ears were the same, as were my eyebrows. My red hair looked messy, only because I hadn't brushed it yet. There seemed nothing wrong with my eyes; they were the natural blueness.

I turned to the Joker with a frown. Was this a joke he had started, and he had been waiting this long to reveal it? I put my hands on my hips. "All right, Joker, this isn't funny," I told him.

The Joker shivered as he looked at me, and he motioned to the mirror.

"This is some kind of joke, isn't it?" I demanded.

"No," he answered, "Look now before it, ah, changes."

"What changes?" I turned my head, looking over my face again. That's when I saw what he meant, and a gasp escaped my lips. "My eyes…"

The first time I had looked, my eyes had been blue, but the second time, the blue had been replaced by the same deep purple as the Joker's jacket.

* * *

**Shadow: Whoa! My eyes changed color!**

**Joker: And, ah, they turned **_**purple**_**!**

**Shadow: I wanna know why.**

**Joker: It's obvious! It's a sign that you and I are meant for one another!**

**Shadow: We don't need a **_**sign**_** to figure **_**that **_**out, Mistah J. D, why didn't my eyes change color?**

**D: *grins, shrugs* You're gonna have to wait for the next chapter where you can ask the Joker, Teresa, and Scarecrow.**

**NxS: *giggles to self* M'kays peoples, please keep up the reviews! *dances off***


	41. Chapter 41

**D: All right, NxS, Joker, I have something to talk to you two about.**

**NxS: What?**

**D: The bargain with **Sinario**...the cat's gotta go back. I like her too, but she's **Sin**'s cat.**

**Joker: *crosses arms* She's not getting, ah, that cat back until she apologizes for calling me a fluffy chihuahua!**

**NxS: *smacks his head* She called you a Pomeranian, puppy.**

**Joker: *rubs head* You don't understand, a Pomeranian looks like an extremely fluffy _chihuahua!_**

**D: *eyeroll* Guys...the cat.**

**NxS: Fine, I'll go get her.**

**Joker: No, you don't! *tackles her and then runs out of the room, NxS chases him***

**D: *sighs* Sorry, **Sinario**, we'll have to wait for the next chapter to see if we got your cat back. And the hug's gonna have to wait too. The Joker likes your cat too much.**

* * *

My first reaction was shock. Those couldn't be my eyes. Mine had been blue since I was born. There was no way that my eyes could change colors, most of all _purple_. That was only in fantasy stories; this wasn't real life.

My next reaction was curiosity. Why were my eyes purple? Did that strange guy use his instrument to do this to me? Did hitting my head trigger this? Why did my eyes change color?

Then came wonder. Was there a purpose behind purple eyes? Did it go with my shadowing ability or with the Joker? Was there…something in those eyes that was suddenly revealed through the color purple?

My eyebrows lowered as I frowned in concentration. I leaned over the sink to look closer at those purple eyes. I just couldn't believe that they were mine. What happened to the blue color?

There was a shift behind me, but I ignored it, knowing it was the Joker. What was it that he saw in those purple orbs that made him shudder? He couldn't be afraid of eyes that held his favorite color.

I continued to stare at those purple orbs, as if waiting for something. There was _something_ about that _color_ that had my full attention. I searched, but didn't find anything…not at first.

A flicker…I only managed to catch it. It tore my attention away from the eyes for a moment. I realized that I felt this tingling sensation, electricity running through me.

What did the sensation remind me of? It came to me instantly. When I finally let the Joker catch his shadow the first time…it was the same feeling, but slightly different.

The pulsing energy came from the charge that zinged through my body. What was this? I tried to think of what it was, but then, I turned my attention back to those purple eyes.

I gazed at those purple orbs, and then shuddered. It wasn't a shudder of fear, more like a shudder of…_pleasure_. It sent many shivers throughout my body, and I realized that it made me feel…good, the same way the Joker's love made me feel good. My entire body shuddered, and I had to hold onto the counter to keep myself from falling.

I realized that my fascination with my purple eyes came from the _thing_ that rested upon them. It wasn't hidden, that was why I didn't see it the first time. What was the name of it? My mind reeled, working in circles to figure it out. The word came a few seconds later: _madness_.

"Is this…what it feels like?" I asked my reflection, my eyes still on those purple orbs.

"Pardon?" The Joker sounded distracted.

"The madness…the energy makes you feel _so good_…"

"What?" the Joker demanded, snapping out of his distracted trance.

I spun on him, suddenly angry. "_Focus_, Joker!" I ordered. He took a step back, shock appearing on his face. "I asked you a question."

"W-What?" he stuttered, taking another step back. I followed him.

"Is this what it's like to be insane? To have an unlimited supply of energy that would keep you going for as long as you need it? Is _this_ the sensation you feel when you shudder…when we are…oh, Heath…" I trailed off, seeing the same madness in his eyes, but his was flickering, like he wasn't sure.

I turned back to my reflection, searching for those purple eyes, but they were gone, replaced by blue.

Suddenly, the electrifying energy left me, and my legs couldn't hold my weight. I collapsed and was saved by the Joker who managed to catch me before I hit the floor. He grunted as he lifted me, having me sit on the toilet.

"Stay, ah, there," the Joker ordered.

I closed my eyes, feeling the room spin. "I'm…dizzy."

"Put your head, ah, between your knees," he commanded. I obeyed, using the counter to steady myself. "Raven, Scarecrow, I think, ah, she's suffering side effects."

"No," I moaned, shaking my head. It made the room spin faster, and I felt sick to my stomach. "That's not it."

"What ever that man has done to her, it's taken quite an effect," Teresa's voice echoed.

I looked up in time to see the Joker stand up and grab Crane's suit, slamming him against a wall with a knife close to his mouth. Of course, I was dizzy, but whatever the Joker did, it was all clear.

"Put him down, Mister J," Teresa told him firmly. "Reign in your anger for a few minutes."

"Why?" the Joker snarled, angrily.

"Did Jon hit Shadow's head? No." Teresa waited for the Joker to release Crane, but he didn't. "Fine, at least put the knife away, you stubborn _dog_," she snapped irritatedly.

The Joker growled at that, but he pocketed his knife. He glanced at me, seeing that I was watching him, and he shuddered again, instantly releasing Crane. Still staring directly into my eyes, he moved to sit on the rim of the tub, opposite me.

"That's better," Crane murmured as he brushed his hair back. Teresa smoothed his suit, glancing from me to the Joker and back. "What are we going to do about the color?" Crane asked.

"Blue contacts," Teresa replied.

"No," the Joker murmured so low that I barely heard him. I noticed that his hands were trembling, but his expression had turned into a wary poker face.

"She can't show the purple. It would have to go under her criminal identity."

They spoke as if I wasn't there, but that was fine; I was busy watching the Joker's reaction to my eyes changing colors. Watching him, he shuddered when my eyes were purple, and his hands trembled.

"We're going out," Teresa said, suddenly. The Joker and I jumped, our eyes tearing away and averting to Teresa. "Crane needs more clothing, and we're going to get blue eye contacts for you, Shadow. Need anything, Mister J, while we're out? Such as makeup…"

He stiffened. "I can, ah, get my own supplies."

"You're not going out like _that_, are you?" Teresa demanded, giving his suit a critical look.

The Joker glared at her as he pulled out a cell phone from his pocket, flipping it open and dialing a number. As Crane and Teresa left the bathroom, the Joker put the phone to his ear, looking at the floor. "Peter, Shadow's apartment, five minutes," he said, and he snapped the cell closed.

"Heath?" The Joker looked at me, but his eyes didn't meet mine directly. "You let Peter see your face without makeup?" I asked, surprised.

"He has a, ah, a memory thing," the Joker explained. "Messed up since he was little, or so he told me." He stood up, and I followed suite, but I was so dizzy that I nearly fell over. The Joker caught me and supported me, still not looking directly at my eyes. "Careful, Shadow. I don't want you to, ah, to hurt yourself."

"Heath, look at me," I whispered, painfully.

"I am."

"No, my eyes, Heath. Do they frighten you?"

The Joker played with his mouth, taking in my face, everything but my eyes. "No," he answered, and I knew he was lying.

"Tell me the truth, Heath," I pressed.

"The truth?" he demanded, sounding angry. I bit my lower lip, but nodded anyway. The Joker closed his eyes and sighed, turning his head slightly. "Not now, Sara, not now," he said, "Tonight, ah, I promise."

"I can't hold you to your word," I told him, still hurt he couldn't look at my eyes.

He opened his eyes and glared at me, sparks of anger in his eyes. "I'm a, ah, a man of my word, Shadow."

"Only when you're promising to kill someone," I argued.

The Joker tightened his grip on my arms, and I stared at him, keeping my expression neutral.

A car horn could be heard outside, and the phone in the Joker's hand vibrated against my arm.

"Seems like your ride's here," I told him, flatly.

The Joker's eyes widened slightly, and then, he opened his mouth like he wanted to say something. He gave up and released me, walking hurriedly out of the bathroom without a word.

I stood in the doorway of the bathroom, holding to the doorframe, watching the Joker as he left. My heart throbbed painfully as the door closed behind him…as if he was walking out of my life…

I shook my head. Get a grip, girl, I told myself. Heath's not leaving forever. He was going to be back. Or at least, I hoped so.

I leaned over the sink, thinking. The pain in his eyes, it was so obvious that he felt like I was dismissing him. If only I hadn't lost my earphone in the ocean yesterday…I had to call him…except I didn't have my cell phone.

I heard someone knocking on the door, but I ignored it, figuring that if it was the Joker, he knew how to get in. I turned the faucet on and cupped my hands, splashing the cold water on my face. A bit trickled down my neck, and I shivered. Patting my face dry, I glimpsed at my reflection.

My eyes were still blue; they hadn't changed.

As I picked up my hairbrush, I wondered what had made my eyes change color. A question arose in my mind as I pulled my brush through my hair. Could I control when my eyes change color?

_That_ was an interesting thought, but it brought up a new question. Why did having my eyes change color make me _feel_ differently?

I heard something click and stopped brushing. Listening, I heard another click and the soft sound of the door opening.

Someone had picked the lock on my apartment door. I continued to listen, hearing a soft shuffle on the carpet. Since when did the Joker walk in _softly_?

I quietly moved to the doorway, straining my hearing. Whoever had entered my apartment had gone into my kitchen. Shadowing to the apartment door, I felt a wave of dizziness wash over my, causing me to grab what I could, a nearby jacket stand. Grabbing it wasn't the best idea since it wasn't steady enough to hold me.

It fell over onto the ground, and I nearly collapsed with surprise. The clatter it made had warned the intruder.

The intruder hurried out of the kitchen, facing me with a gun pointing in my direction. Instinctively, I raised my hands as if to defeat myself. And then, the intruder lowered his weapon and spoke.

"Susan?"

"Dean?" I felt relieved that the intruder was not the man who had attacked me on the beach, but the relief was replaced with anger a second later. "You have some _nerve_ for coming here," I snarled.

Confusion flickered in his expression. "What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"Does the fact that you tried to _kill_ me ring any bells?" I growled.

"I thought someone had gotten into your apartment," he said. He was toying with me, pretending that by having a gun pointed at me that he almost killed me!

"Speak for yourself." I felt along my belt to see if I had any weapons, but I didn't. "Dean, I meant yesterday…with my cell phone."

"Yeah, I found your phone," he said, grinning as he reached into his pocket.

Oh, how I wished I had a gun in my hands at that moment. "Don't move, Dean," I ordered, my tone low.

"What?" Curiosity appeared on his face.

"Put the gun down on the ground." He gave me a confused look, causing my anger to spark. "You heard me, put the gun down." Dean, still acting confused, crouched and placed his weapon on the ground. Before he straightened, I shadowed to the gun and back to my spot.

I lifted Dean's weapon, pointing it at his chest. He looked shocked and instantly raised his hands. "All right, Dean," I said, narrowing my eyes, "You and I are going to have a little, ah, _chat_."

He still looked shocked and confused, and his eyes kept flickering to the gun in my hands. When he started to look down at his feet, I clicked my tongue loudly. "What is this, Susan?" he asked, raising his eyes to mine instantly.

"_Exactly_ what it _looks_ like," I answered, "Now no more questions. You will speak when spoken to, and you will only move when I say you can, understood?"

Dean looked like he wanted to say something, but he simply nodded, obeying my orders.

"Backup," I told him. "There's a couch in there. Go sit on it. Any sudden movements and…**bang**!"

Dean winced and then turned around, his hands still as he walked over to the couch. I followed him, keeping his gun on him. He sat down, but I remained standing.

"I want answers, Dean, and they better be honest. You don't seem to have understood what I said a few minutes ago so I'm going to talk and then you're going to answer. Caprice?"

Again, he nodded.

"I'll start small. Yesterday, on my way to a friend's, I found out that _someone_ had switched my cell phone. I believe that that same _someone_ managed to get my number when I hadn't _given it to him_."

"I didn't switch it, but I did take it to find what your number was," Dean replied.

I watched him, narrowing my eyes in concentration. I fully believed the second part, but I wasn't sure of the first.

"I'll admit, you're a good actor, Dean," I said, changing the subject while lowering the gun a bit. It was a test; if he relaxed _just_ enough, then I'd know if he was guilty or not."

Dean's shoulders slumped slightly, but he kept his eyes on the weapon in my hands. His tongue slid over his lips nervously.

"Stop that!" I snapped.

He jumped, startled. "Stop what?" he asked, confused.

"Stop acting like the Joker!"

"I'm not acting," he replied, still _seemingly_ confused.

"Yes, you are!" My voice began to rise in volume. "He licks his lips, and you just it did the same way."

"Everyone has their nervous habit," Dean said.

"No! You're just copying Mister J!"

He gave me a confused look.

"Answer me, Dean, and admit you're acting."

"Why would I lie?"

"Because you tried to kill me, Dean!" I shouted, raising the gun.

His confusion only grew. "Who tried to kill-?"

"You did!"

"Calm down, Susan," Dean said, calmly. "If I tried to kill you, I doubt that I would've returned here."

"You might've thought you could overwhelm me." He made a move to stand, but I jerked the gun to remind him that it was still in my hand. "You knew my cell was a bomb."

"A what?" His voice sharpened, and for a moment, I thought he had used the Joker's voice. "Didn't the Joker use a cell phone as a bomb?"

"You can't be expecting him to kill me," I said in disbelief.

"He didn't care about Jon when he blew his brains out," Dean argued. "You might have lost your _usefulness_ to him."

"He would _never_!"

Dean shrugged, taking my rejection calmly. "I might be wrong, but-."

"No, you _must_ have. Who else would want me dead?" I demanded as calmly and logically as I could.

Before he could answer, I heard the door to the apartment open. We turned our heads and looked in the door's direction.

The Joker stood in the doorway.

* * *

**Joker: Dean's gonna, ah, **_**die**_**!**

**D: Not if I can help it.**

**NxS: I'm going to have to side with D on this one.**

**Joker: You're going to, ah, to let him **_**live**_**?! What the heck is wrong with you?**

**D: Nothing, I just know how important he is in the story right now.**

**Joker: *growls***

**D: Down, puppy, I have work to do.**

**NxS: Sorry puppy. Anyways, don't forget to review dear readers! *rushes off to protect Dean***


	42. Chapter 42

**Joker: I have a, ah, a problem with another of the readers, who happened to _swear_ at D.**

**D: Now, Puppy, there are worse things someone could say to me-.**

**Joker: *clicks open his switchblade, runs to **WolfxAngel**'s house, put knife in her mouth* Ya wanna know how I got these scars, **WolfxAngel**?**

**Shadow: *shadows to him and brings him back***

**Joker: What the heck, Shadow? Who's side are you on?**

**Shadow: D's side, not yours. Be a good boy and hand **Sinario**'s cat back.**

**Joker: NxS has her. *perks up* I'll be back. *tries to run out of room but D catches him* **_**Damn**_** you, D!**

**D: So you can swear at me but my readers can't? That's slightly unfair. It's a good thing I'm taking you with me to camp. Don't worry, readers, I'm only gone for one day and that doesn't really matter since I'll be back on Wednesday when I next upload a chapter. Give **Sinario** her cat.**

**Joker: *wincing in pain as D pulls his ear* All right, all right! She'll get the darn cat back! Just let me go!**

**D: *releases him, he stumbles to the ground***

**Joker: *jerks up, hugs **Sinario**, and then runs out of the room, laughing hysterically* I, ah, _changed_ my mind!**

**D: Damn you, Joker! You'll get your cat back, don't worry, **Sin**, it will just take awhile. And **WolfxAngel**, I'd appreciate it if you _didn't_ swear at me. I know I make evil cliffhangers, but that's the point of writing. An author has to leave his readers wanting more. It's evil, but that's what an author does. *grins***

**NxS: Onto the story, and I'm going to get the bad puppy. *runs off*  
**

* * *

I couldn't think straight. My muscles froze, even as my heart leaped. However happy I was to see Heath, I was horrified that he had returned so quickly and when _Dean_ was here!

The Joker took a second to react, and then, he closed the door behind him, grimly. He had his makeup on, and it scared me. I was so used to seeing Heath without the white face and black eyes. It had to be his scars that frightened me the most.

The Joker moved slowly, his hunched shoulders making him seem more menacing. His eyes flickered from me to Dean and back. I didn't think he would pay attention to me, but I remembered the gun that rested in my hands. As if remembering how deadly I was with a gun, the Joker actually began limping slightly like his leg bothered him.

Dean stood up, and the Joker moved faster, his hand dropping into his pocket. I stepped between him and Dean, causing him to stop short.

"Outta, ah, the way, Shadow," the Joker growled.

"No, if anyone's going to kill Dean, it's gonna be me." He looked at me curiously. "You heard me, Mister J," I said, "You might be next since you _disrupted_ me." I twitched the gun, and the Joker's eyes flickered to it.

A smile slowly made its way on his face. "I apologize, Shadow," he said, holding up his hands tin surrender. He took a step back. "Continue what you were, ah, doing."

"Leave the room," I ordered.

Suspicion crossed the Joker's painted face. "No," he said, flatly.

"Leave the room _now_."

He still refused, but by shaking his head, his eyes shifted away from me. The Joker's eyes focused on Dean, ignoring the weapon in my hands.

My mind spin, trying to come up with something that would make him go. He was being stubborn with me, like some spoiled kid. I glared at the Joker, and he shuddered, taking another step back. If my eyes had changed color, would he obey me?

"Go into the kitchen, puppy, _now_." I spoke sternly, and the Joker hesitated, like he was trying to break the spell I had on him. He lost though, backing up toward the kitchen. The Joker dropped his hands and then disappeared into the kitchen, gracefully and in a blur.

"Puppy?"

I spun on Dean and poked him hard with the gun. "Don't speak unless you're spoken to, _Dean_!" He took a step back in shock, falling onto the couch. I sat down on the table in front of him, keeping the gun on his chest.

"Spit it out, Dean. Who switched my cell phone with a bomb if it wasn't you?"

"I don't know, Sus-."

"The name's Shadow," I cut him off sharply.

"Shadow, I don't know."

There are many ways of knowing if someone is lying. One was whether or not they were making eye contact with you. A liar felt that you could read the truth in their eyes, which was why they avoided eye contact.

Dean, however, _was_ making eye contact.

Another way was to figure out if they defended themselves. When I had accused him of trying to kill me, he had asked – or tried to, since I disrupted him – _who_ had tried to kill me. He had been acting on the offensive.

Dean faced me in full. A liar would feel uncomfortable facing their accuser so they would turn something away, whether it was just their head or their whole body.

He had been confused when I altered the subject. I had tried to get him to relax, which would have meant he was lying, but no, he had proved me wrong.

I watched him, seeing that he was waiting for me to speak. This was only my second-to-last test for Dean. Liars aren't comfortable with silence or pauses in a conversation. He passed that test, waiting patiently for me to speak, keeping eye contact.

My last test was simple.

"Dean," I said, calmly, "Did you happen to press any extra buttons on my cell while you were getting my number?" I watched his eyes look up to the left, relaxing. "And did you switch my cell?"

"No," he replied, plainly.

I lowered the gun so it pointed at the floor. "Do you know of anyone among your pals – the Joker's men – who might have something against me?"

Dean thought again, his eyes looking to the left again. "I can't think of any of them, except Shaun, but I doubt he'll want to _kill_ you. He might have a grudge against you, though."

I nodded, calculating. "You said you found my cell phone…"

Dean reached into his pocket and then stopped, staring at me expectantly.

"I dropped the anger a while back, Dean. I'm sorry I jumped to the conclusion that you were behind the bomb," I reassured him calmly, still thinking about who else would want to attack me.

"Apology accepted," he said, handing me my phone. "I took the liberty of putting in my number and the rest of my pals."

I flipped it open and scowled. "You cracked my password, didn't you?"

"To get into your phone passed the calling, yeah. You shouldn't have used your criminal name since you're telling everyone what it is."

"It hasn't gotten on the news yet."

"And let's hope it doesn't ever." I looked up at him, seeing a cheerful grin on his face. Now that the serious accusation was settled, Dean had returned to his innocent self.

"I have to ask, did you give Shaun my number?"

"No, but he _did_ get a hold of my cell the other night."

I sighed, rubbing my face. "You can go now, Dean…"

"I thought, I mean, um, do you want me to-?"

"We're already trying your boss's patience, Dean; of course, whether or not he'll still be your boss just might change, but we'll see."

"You mean you-."

"I said we'll see, Dean." I stood up and thrust his gun into his hands. "I'll call you later, but don't call me. _I_ will call _you_."

Dean nodded, and he followed me to the door. I opened it for him. "Later then," he said.

"Bye, Dean." I closed the door and then put my ear to it. Listening, I heard Dean's hesitant footsteps down the hallway, and I waited until they headed down the stairs before I locked the door, bolting it as well.

Time to deal with the most likely unhappy puppy in the kitchen.

The Joker leaned casually against the kitchen counter, twirling his opened switchblade. His eyes automatically locked upon mine as I entered. "That was, ah, interesting," he remarked, calmly.

I knew the calm façade wasn't going to last long so I crossed my arms, watching him and waiting for him to snap.

"Yesterday," the Joker said, his eyes following his switchblade as he twirled it, "When you were, ah, mouthing off-."

"Swearing," I corrected.

His mouth twitched in irritation. "Don't, ah, interrupt me, Shadow."

I rolled my eyes and waited for him to continue. He hadn't lifted his eyes from his blade so he hadn't seen my eye roll.

"It must have, ah, been Dean boy you were swearing about."

"I had thought he had switched my cell phone with his own-."

"And then you went to, ah, to the conclusion that he had given you a bomb instead."

I nodded. "Basically."

"That's why you wanted to, ah, to kill him."

"Yes…"

The Joker snapped his switchblade closed and slipped it into his pocket. He held out his arms toward me. "C'here, Shadow."

"No," I declined, flatly.

Anger rose in his eyes, and his mouth twisted into a frown. "Why not?" he demanded.

"I have something to ask you for," I explained.

"What?" His tone was curious, but sharp.

"Dismiss Dean as your henchman. I want him as mine."

The Joker growled at me. His body tensed like he was prepared to pounce on me. "Not if I can help it," he snarled.

"Why do you believe I would have an affair with Dean, of all people?" I demanded. "Does my _tumbling_ you mean nothing?"

He winced like the words hurt him, but he remained tense, ready to attack me.

"I've tried to explain this to you before, and you didn't get it. What's the point of explaining it again if it doesn't get into that stubborn head of yours? Damn you, Heath. It's like you don't even know me anymore!"

"That's what it _feels_ like," the Joker yelled. "You're not the Shadow I knew in middle school."

"I guess that works out then. You're not the _Heath_ I knew in middle school," I shot back frustrated.

The Joker pushed off the counter hard, nearly thrusting himself at me. I waited until he had grabbed my arms before I shadowed. In my mind, I switched our position so when we appeared on my bed, we were lying on it rather than standing on it. I even switched it so then I was on top.

Roughly, I grabbed his wrists and held them down, using my legs to keep his from moving.

"Such a, ah, a short temper," I said, imitating the Joker's voice as best as I could, sliding my tongue over my lips. This caught his attention. "Right now, Joker, _I'm_ the one in control, and it will _remain_ that way until we settle the situation with Dean."

"You're not, ah, having him!"

I twisted my elbow to dig it into his side. He hissed through his clenched teeth. "Now you know what it's like to be me, Heath, when you're in control." I flipped my hair out of my face. "We have two choices, Heath. We can do this the easy way or the hard way-."

"Which one-?"

"Don't interrupt," I snapped, slipping my finger underneath his glove and digging my nail into his wrist. He winced. "I'll decide, depending on how I'm feeling by the time I finish speaking, also depending on how you react to the hard way, which is sort of what I'm using right now."

The Joker inhaled sharply as I dug in another nail.

"The rules are simple. I talk, you listen. If you win, but still refuse, we'll go the easy way. Any other way, we continue with the hard way. Nod if you understand the rules."

The Joker nodded.

"All right, here's my explanation. There's two reasons I want Dean as my henchman rather than yours. The first is the most rational. I need him for my disguise as a good detective under Commissioner Gordon. He's acting as my best friend, but I'm sure that 'boyfriend' is the better word for it. My second reason is connected to the first; I need him protected from you because you want to kill him cause you're _jealous_."

The Joker looked like he wanted to argue, but I stopped him by digging my nail in.

"My main reason can be summed up in four words: I need Dean alive. In order to _keep_ him alive, I need to take him away from you where he's more likely to have an _accident_." I eased my nails away from his wrists, giving him the signal to speak.

"No."

I inhaled sharply through my nose. "You want the easy way out, don't you?"

"Anyone in their, ah, right mind would," the Joker replied.

"Hands," I said, and he lifted his gloved hands, looking at me curiously. I pulled off his gloves and tossed them onto the nightstand. Then, I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, feeling the rough scars.

The Joker grabbed me, hugging me as we kissed. He knew what the easy way out was. He tore his mouth away from mine and brought it close to my ear. "Does, ah, this count as your promised _tumble_?"

I laughed. "No, this is a more forced one on you."

He giggled. "You know, ah, how to win me over, Shadow."

"Does this mean I get Dean?"

"Depends, ah, how well you satisfy me."

"You're such a jerk," I laughed, amused.

"But you love me anyway."

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing this."

The Joker's laughter echoed in my ears, making my heart swell with passion.

* * *

The Joker jerked awake, finding that his face was dripping with sweat, smudging his warpaint. His breathing was quick and consisted of short gasps. In his chest, his heart beat rapidly, as if he had been running. He sat up slowly to avoid waking Shadow who slept beside him, and he put his face in his hands, not caring if he smudged his paint more.

What had awoken him? He was so sure that there was something he had woken to, but as he sat there, listening, he didn't hear anything.

His dream…whatever it was. He growled in frustration; he knew he had dreamed something, but it was always the same thing each time he woke up: he forgot it.

The Joker stood up and pulled on his pants, buckling his belt. He glanced at Shadow who was sleeping soundly, her hand resting on his smudged pillow. She was so…manipulative. He liked it though; she had always been like that with him…expect she only had to ask him nicely to get what she wanted back in middle school.

He frowned as he pulled on his button shirt. Shadow hadn't asked him for much when they were in middle school; she only asked for attention and…love. To feel accepted. He looked at her again, wondering how she had developed into the strong-minded woman she was now. Losing her family and having killed her first boss might have added to it, but the Joker believed that she had been strong-minded when they were younger; she just learned to come out of her little comfortable zone.

The Joker was buttoning up his vest when he heard the knock on the door and Raven saying, "Open the door, Shadow, or Mister J, whoever is home."

The Joker grinned as he hurried out into the living room. There was no need to let Scarecrow and Raven know what he and Shadow were doing. He jumped on the couch, messing up the pillows and throwing one onto the floor. Grabbing his jacket, he threw it over the chair and flipped over his smudged pillow, trying to be careful not to wake Shadow up while he did it.

With everything all set, he heard Raven call, "Open the door!"

He moaned loudly and then went to the door, opening it. "Why, ah, are you still coming back here?" he demanded, in a tired voice. The Scarecrow saw through the act, and an amused smile appeared on his face. Raven, however, didn't.

"We said we'd be back," she snapped. "We got Shadow's contacts." Then, she looked at him with a more critical eye. "Were you two _busy_?"

The Joker frowned as Scarecrow and Raven entered the apartment. "No, she's sleeping in her room, and I was, ah, on the couch." He motioned to the messed up couch.

"So I see," Raven said, lifting an eyebrow, not convinced. She went into the kitchen and pulled out a few packets of contacts. "Go put these in the bathroom, Mister J," she said.

"I'm, ah, not a dog."

Raven gave him a smug look. "You are to Shadow so you are to me as well. Now go."

The Joker growled, grabbing the packets. He wasn't going to let her win that easily. "Shadow's eyes, ah, change according to how she feels," he told Raven.

Raven snorted. "Yeah, right. If anything, she might learn to control that later, not on her first day."

"It's, ah, not her first day. This is day two."

"Quit arguing with me, Mister J. If you want to argue, go argue with Shadow, not with me." Raven stopped rustling through the bags on the counter, and she turned to the Joker. The Joker had the urge to stick his tongue out at her, but he resisted, seeing that she had something to say. "Go wake up, Shadow. I want to make sure that those contacts will hide it when her eyes are lavender."

"It's, ah, _purple_," the Joker growled, angrily.

"Lavender-lover, go wake up your woman," Raven ordered, sternly.

The Joker snarled. "Not until you, ah, admit that it's purple."

"Lavender's just a lighter version of purple. Now go," Raven pressed and emphasized her point by jerking her head towards Shadow's bedroom.

"No."

Raven glared at him, but the Joker matched it. She managed to hold the stare for a few moments, and then she looked away. The Joker was impressed nonetheless, since it was her second time attempting to stare him down, so he went to go get Shadow.

Shadow was sitting up, rubbing her eyes when he entered the room, closing the door behind him. "I heard Teresa and Jon," she said, sleepily. She looked up at him when he didn't answer, and a curious expression appeared on her face. "Are you all right?"

The Joker remained leaning against the door, his eyes locked on Shadow's. They had turned purple, and he felt the involuntary shudder coast through his body. A small smile crossed Shadow's face, but it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

"Heath?"

"Shadow, I, ah, wanna ask you something," he began, quietly.

Shadow reached out a hand toward him, and the Joker felt himself being drawn to her. He approached the bed slowly, making his way around the edge before sitting down on her side. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled him toward her, and he let her.

"Go ahead and ask me, Heath," Shadow whispered.

The Joker felt a deep sadness coming over him, but he had to ask. "What was your dream two nights ago?"

* * *

**Joker: What?! Are we going to, ah, to have a dream chat or something?**

**D: NxS wanted to know.**

**Joker: NxS can go jump off a cliff, especially after she took me hostage to get you to write up chapter 41.**

**NxS: *****smacks his nose* ****I let you go once she was done.**

**Joker: Still, I don't like, ah, the idea of being the hostage.**

**Shadow: *grins* Now you know what it's like to be the victim.**

**Joker: *growls* It's called, ah, 'cruel and unusual punishment'.**

**NxS: Pfft! At least I fed you! I don't recall you getting Shadow anything to eat. Such an ungrateful puppy. *eyeroll* Don't forget to review!**


	43. Chapter 43

**D: Camp was fun, for the one day that I went.**

**Joker: *comes in, soaking wet* D only had fun because, ah, she and a bunch of friends found it funny to throw me in the lake.**

**D: You deserved it after scaring us on Monday night with that chipmunk henchman of yours. We named him Conrad Larry of Billerica. Billerica was the name of our cabin.  
**

**Joker: Sleeping outside was, ah, fun, though. That had to be my favorite part.**

**D: Hey, look at that. I'm over two hundred reviews. Geez, I _love_ you guys! Oh, and there's quite a surprise for the Joker - his cat henchman's gone cause **Sinario**'s friend is awesome - but he won't realize that until the later. ;)**

* * *

I tensed, my embrace tightening around the Joker and nearly choking him. Inhaling steadily, I forced myself to calm, pressing my head to his, not caring about his smudged paint.

Before I could speak though, Teresa called, "Did you get _lost_, Mister J?"

"She's just too, ah, _beautiful_," the Joker said in response.

"Don't make me come in there."

The Joker gently removed my arms from his neck, and he stood up slowly as if he was in pain. He bent over, picking up my clothes and dumping them in my laundry bag. I watched him as he went to my bureau, selecting my clean clothing.

The Joker returned to the bed, placing the neat pile on my lap. Before he could move away, I grabbed him by his vest and kissed him passionately. He pulled away, but he licked his lips, his eyes illuminating as he tasted my love. "Get, ah, dressed, Shadow," the Joker chuckled, grinning. "Don't want Raven barging in again."

I smiled, glad to see that the Joker had returned to his usual self. After I had dressed, I went to the bed where the Joker was sitting patiently, and I kissed him again.

"You might want to redo the makeup, Mistah J," I told him as I brushed his hair out of his face. The Joker laughed as he stood up, enveloping me in a tight hug. He squeezed me, and I choked. "I don't, uh, need my rips broken, Mistah J," I said.

"I know, Shadow. Just thought to, ah, to give you a hug." He released me and then opened the door for me. I rubbed my sides as I left the room.

Crane gave me an amused grin as the Joker and I entered the kitchen.

"Shut up," I told him.

"I didn't say anything," he said.

"Stop teasing her, Jon," Teresa scolded.

"I didn't _say_ anything," he repeated.

She gave him a look and then handed me a packet. "Pop these in," she ordered.

"As if I've never put in contacts," I murmured, and the Joker snorted behind me. The truth was that I _did_ know how to put them in. I had started wearing contacts when I went into middle school. That was something even Heath hadn't known, and I didn't think it necessary to tell him since I had the operation when I turned eighteen, when I didn't have to forge my mother's signature.

I bent over the counter, using a towel to ensure that I didn't drop the blue contact on the floor or counter and lose it. Slipping in one, I blinked to make sure it would stay before I turned to face the others.

"That's creepy," Teresa remarked with a grin.

"I think it's interesting," Crane said, "You should go to work like that, Shadow. You would scare everyone with your demented eyes."

"Thanks, Jon," I said, sarcastically. I looked at the Joker. "What do you think, Mistah J?"

"I'd, ah, have to agree with Scarecrow," he admitted, licking his lips, "But 'demented' isn't the right word. I'd say, ah, your eyes are quite _unique_."

I smiled and then turned to pop the next one in. Turning back, I asked, "Do they look all set?"

"You should be safe now," Teresa said.

Just then, my cell phone rang, back in my bedroom. I was going to shadow to it, but the Joker raced out of the kitchen. I waited for him to return with it, and I glanced at the caller ID before flipping it open.

"Good afternoon, Gordon," I greeted.

"_You're cheerful. I assume the problem with your friend is settled then."_

"Unfortunately for her, it was a false alarm. She tends to overreact about things occasionally." Teresa made a face. "I got back late last night. How are things in the MCU?"

"_A bit disorganized. We think the Joker had something to do with breaking the Scarecrow out of Arkham."_

I grinned, but kept the grin out of my tone. "So the Scarecrow would be with the Joker, you're thinking?" The Joker and Crane looked at one another and then away; Crane with an amused grin and the Joker with his arms crossed and a grumpy look on his face. It was difficult to keep myself from laughing.

"_And it seems as though one of the Joker's men messed with Arkham's cameras in the Maximum Security Wing,"_ Gordon continued. _"I'm having Ramirez go to your apartment to pick you up. She'll drive you to Arkham. For some reason, no one can get past into the cameras."_

I frowned. I hadn't done anything to the cameras but freeze them. Any one could get past them to put them to rights unless Teresa had somehow done something to them before we left. She could have for all I know; most likely while she and Crane were invisible.

"How long will she be?" I asked. I had heard of Ramirez so I knew who she was.

"_Fifteen minutes at the most,"_ he answered.

"All right, I'll be here." I snapped the cell closed and looked at the three in the kitchen with me. "Ramirez is coming to pick me up. I'm the tech detective, apparently. She's bringing me to Arkham to look at the cameras."

"So we should leave since my car would be evidence that someone else is here," Teresa said, taking hold of Crane's tie. "C'mon, Jon, we're going to my apartment."

I smirked at Crane as they passed. "And I'm sure you two will find something _interesting_ to keep yourselves busy," I teased.

"Keep in your own clothes while you wait for Ramirez," Teresa shot back. I winced and looked over at the Joker. He had pulled himself up onto the counter, a look of sadness on his face.

I waited until I heard the front door close before I approached him. "Mistah J, are you okay?"

"Trying to, ah, to remember something." He glanced at me, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You were, ah, going to tell me what your dream was two nights ago."

"What brought this up?" I demanded.

"I won't, ah, tell until you do."

I sighed and pulled myself onto the counter beside him. "I dreamed of you becoming the Joker," I said, truthfully. "It was like you as Heath and you as the Joker were separated. You talked to yourself, explaining that you had left Jeannie and had become a monster to find me." I forced a laugh. "It obviously was my imagination running off with the bits of truth I know."

The Joker had become very still beside me. "Did you, ah, see your surroundings?"

I looked at him, surprised. "Was my dream correct?"

"Somewhat," he admitted. "You didn't, ah, answer my question."

"It was in an alleyway. You came running in and went to the wall, shouting at some voice only you heard."

"It's, ah, amazing what the conscience does when you're in agonizing pain," the Joker remarked. He hopped down from the counter, but I grabbed the back of his jacket and pulled him toward me.

"Don't leave yet. Why did you ask about my dream?"

"I was, ah, curious." The Joker turned around so that he faced me. "I dreamed minutes ago, but I don't remember what it was." He lifted his gloved hand to my cheek and caressed it, sliding his finger over my mouth and up my other cheek, like he was creating a Glasgow smile on my face. "Don't forget to call Dean," he reminded me, hesitating on Dean's name. "You know that, ah, I'm _trusting_ you."

"He's not my type of criminal, Heath," I stated.

"Nonetheless, I want you to, ah, to know that I don't trust _him_. He tried to hit on you even after you, ah, told him that I had my claim on you already. I trust _you_ to keep him at a safe distance away."

I grinned and grabbed the Joker's tie, pulling him closer. "I'll always keep him at a safe distance," I promised him. I slid a finger over his left scar, and his hand on my knee twitched. "Of course, since he's to be my fake 'boyfriend', I'll have to let him come close, Heath, but I will keep him under control."

The Joker's Glasgow smile appeared as he saw the sincerity in my eyes. He giggled as I leaned in and kissed his scarred mouth. When I moved away, he grabbed my head and pulled me back to kiss me again. He jerked me off the counter, kissing my passionately. I slipped my hand into his dyed green hair, holding onto him tightly. I didn't want him to go, and it seemed like he felt the same because he wrapped an arm around my waist, bringing me closer to him.

We separated for a breath and then kissed again, tasting one another's love, feeling the fiery passion feeding our energy.

Of course, our passion was meant to be interrupted.

Someone cleared his throat, and the Joker reached into his pocket. I grabbed his wrist to stop him from getting a knife, and I tore away from him, turning my head to see the intruder.

Of all people, I didn't expect Peter to be standing there. His face was red, whether it was of embarrassment or anger, I couldn't tell. His eyes met mine, and I still was confused about which emotion he was feeling.

"Boss," he said stiffly, "We should leave."

The Joker looked at him and then sighed. "Wait for me, ah, outside," he told the man. Peter hesitated, his eyes flickering to me. "Go, Peter!" the Joker growled, and Peter left. "I never, ah, had to order him twice."

"Maybe love scares him." I kissed the Joker one more time and then gently removed his hold on me. "You have to go. I don't want Ramirez to see you driving away."

The Joker nodded, and he kissed me lightly before heading out.

I leaned back against the counter, thinking. From the day the Joker found me, it had only been twelve days. It hadn't been two full weeks yet!

I smiled. My life had never had so much happen in such a short time before. It was all because of the Joker. The excitement of his world had such a hold on me; I wondered if I'd be able to handle an ordinary citizen's life.

Ramirez came to the door, and I went out with her. I don't know how we got into conversation, but we did hit it off quite rapidly. There was one thing that caught my attention, and that was her story about her mother. Maroni – a former Mobster, now dead – had paid her mother's hospital bill so that he had a spy in the MCU. Now, Ramirez had her mother at home, and she looked after her mother. I took interest in this story and decided to pay the bill but under my criminal name, but I wasn't going to use it against her.

She was a good person and didn't deserve to be used like that again.

* * *

Midnight was close when I left the MCU. At Arkham, I had worked out the problem with the cameras to reveal that whoever had gotten the Scarecrow out had frozen the tapes. There had been a hidden camera in the booth that I had forgotten so I was tense while Gordon, Stephens, Ramirez, and I watched.

It had looked like the Joker was the one who did it all, but they had caught my voice. Luckily, Gordon assumed that the Joker had changed his voice slightly. Nonetheless, I was brought back to the MCU for questioning in case it _had_ been me.

Even knowing the tricks of lying, it was difficult to avoid giving myself away.

My head pounded as I walked the streets of Gotham. The night was cool, and I didn't feel like shadowing. The cool air might clear my mind.

My body twitched with edginess. I couldn't calm down over how I had nearly given myself up as the one who had messed with Arkham's cameras. It made me worried and tense. My awareness turned up to its sharpest as I walked to my apartment.

I had left the MCU five minutes back when I heard a soft rumble.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that the street was empty of cars, except for a silver Volvo. I stopped and stared, reading the license plate. Peter owned a silver Volvo, and I wanted to see if it was his.

The car's headlights flashed on, and I blinked, momentarily blinded. I lifted a hand to protect my eyes from the light, and the Volvo rumbled again. Again, I tried to read the license plate, but the lights were too bright. Whoever the driver was, he had his highbeams on.

Suddenly, the Volvo jerked forward, and it picked up speed. It came close to where I was. I only watched it until the car came up onto the curb, heading straight for me.

I turned and ran. The car sped up more, coming up behind me. My mind spun for an explanation as I raced down the sidewalk. Could it be that guy who had attacked me yesterday?

The car was catching up. I turned the corner sharply and hugged the brick wall, waiting for the car to spin the corner.

The Volvo came, and I slipped back the way I had gone. As I ran, I could hear the squealing of the car tires as the driver backed up and straightened, heading for me again.

An idea popped into my head, but I hesitated to go with it. The Joker wanted me to be a _schemer_, rather than an unpredictable _improviser_. He wouldn't be happy with me either way; if I did it and got hurt or did it and _didn't_ get hurt.

I stopped running in the middle of the road and turned to face my purser. He had slowed the car down, making it rumble as he jerked on and off the gas pedal. Did he think that would scare me?

I outstretched my arms and stood there, waiting. When he didn't come, I shouted, "_Hit_ me, _coward_!"

The driver slammed down on the gas pedal, and the tires squealed in protest. I watched as the car lunged forward, speeding toward me.

For a moment, I feared for my life. Whoever was driving this car wanted me dead. If they actually hit me, it would be a flash of pain, and I'd probably lose my legs. What was worse: me dying or the Joker's reaction to my death?

I didn't have time to think. The car sped toward me, only inches from me when someone jerked me out of the way. Something crashed into the car, and then, I was aware of my and my savior rolling and scrapping myself on the road.

I came to a stop before my savior did, and I gasped with pain. My mind raced, finding the agony's locations. Both knees, my right leg, left elbow, left side, right shoulder, left cheek, back of head, over my right eye…there was the pain and the trickle of blood coming from some places.

I winced as I sat up, checking myself over. The knees of my jeans were torn, showing scrapped and bleeding knees. I couldn't move my right leg without it hurting, and my left side ached but because I wore a leather jacket, it saved my side, elbow, and shoulder from any scrapping or blood. They hurt nonetheless. I must have hit my head, and my cheek and over my eye blood was tricking. I would survive though.

I looked around for the car first and saw that it had vanished from the street. In the middle of the road was an advanced-looking motorcycle, and I recognized it as the wanted vigilante's.

"Are you all right?" a gruff voice asked. I turned my head to see the vigilante getting to his feet.

"I've been worse," I replied, calmly.

"What were you thinking? Acting like a target for that driver?" Batman demanded.

I didn't say anything. If I did, there was most likely a chance that I would have said something that I would regret.

"Are you crazy?"

"No," I snapped, jumping to my feet. I gasped as agony shot up and down my right leg. Had I twisted it or something?

Batman lunged forward, but I backed away. "I won't have the help of a wanted vigilant," I growled.

"Had I not save you, you'd be dead," he snapped.

"At least I wouldn't be in _pain_, but I appreciate that you saved me from the car." I whimpered quietly as my leg throbbed. In the distance I could hear police sirens. I pulled out my cell. "You should go," I told him, "I have friend who can pick me up. I'll be fine." Batman watched me closely so I dialed the first number that came to my head. Of all people, it was the Joker's.

"Hey, Jack," I said, turning away from Batman, "It's Jane. Don't pick up. I'm on 32nd Street. Come get me." I glanced at Batman but found that he had gone to his Bat-Pod. "No, don't bother with this message. I'll explain later. Bye." I snapped the cell closed as Batman started up his pod.

"All set?" he asked loudly over the pod's rumbling.

"Yes, thank you," I called, and he headed off down the street. As soon as he had vanished around the corner, I shadowed away.

* * *

**Shadow: I'd say that Peter's reaction was suspicious.**

**Joker: You, ah, are only saying because you don't know what he was feeling.**

**Shadow: As if you would know, Mister J.**

**Joker: *nudges D* She's not happy with me.**

**D: She's neutral, Heath, and I'd advice you not to push her farther.**

**Joker: I know that. Hey, someone, ah, gave **Sin** back her cat?! Who did it? I wanna know!**

**NxS: *fails at looking innocent* Gee, I wonder who it could have been... Don't forget to review! *rushes away with the Joker on her heels***

**D: **Sin**, NxS helped your friend while me and the Joker were gone so _technically_ your friend wasn't that good at the sneaking part, but nonetheless, your friend's awesome. Review!  
**


	44. Chapter 44

The pain in my leg distracted me so I missed my designated spot by three feet. Instead of appearing right inside my apartment, I had shadowed _outside_ the door so I had to physically unlock my door before entering.

Every step I took on my right leg caused shooting pain. I limped inside, trying to keep most of my weight off it. The lights were off so I switched them on.

As I did, I heard the news on, on my laptop. I glanced in the living room's direction and saw the Joker stood over my laptop, standing in its glow. He was looking directly at me, glancing over his shoulder.

"Welcome home, _dar_-ling," he greeted, cheerfully.

"Are you on the news?" I asked, walking into the kitchen.

"You don't, ah, wanna see?"

"Not now." I went under the sink and took out my first aid kit. Sitting on the counter, I rolled up my pant legs, trying to be gentle on my sensitive right leg. I used hydrogen peroxide on my knees and inhaled sharply through clenched teeth, wiping the scrapes gingerly. Boy, did it _sting_.

"Who don't ya, ah, wanna see? It's interesting," he called.

I rolled my eyes. The Joker sounded like he was making his way into the kitchen. "I'm _busy_," I answered, and gasped in minor pain.

"Doing what?" The Joker appeared in the kitchen doorway. His brown eyes met mine and then wandered over my visible wounds. "What, ah, happened?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing angrily.

"Someone tired to run me over," I explained.

"Is that, ah, what the strange message was about?"

"On the phone. Yes. Your _friend_, Batman knocked me out of the way and got me scrapped up on the pavement." I hissed as I used a pad to clean the scratch over my eye. "Mind telling me about Batman now? Or is he still 'another story'?"

The Joker ignored me as he came over to help me bandage my knees. "Are you, ah, hurt anywhere else?" he asked.

"The jacket saved me from scrapes, but I must have done something to my right leg," I replied. "Certain movements make it hurt."

The Joker took my leg, holding it steady with one hand while he applied pressure up my leg. I whimpered as he moved around my knee. "There?" he asked me.

"That's where it hurts the most," I growled painfully through clenched teeth.

The Joker pressed his ear to my knee, an odd move. I watched him, confused as he placed his hands on either side of my knee, stroking one side. What the heck was he doing?

"Heath?"

"Hm?" He sounded distracted.

"I doubt that you're making my leg better."

"I'm, ah, just calming you."

"For what?" I asked, bewildered.

He lifted his head, met my eyes, and grinned. "For this," he replied and twisted my leg.

I cried out as the smearing pain shot up my leg. Tears blurred my vision, and I bit my lower lip, drawing blood.

"How's, ah, that?" the Joke asked, still holding my leg and grinned.

I blinked to clear my vision, and I smiled innocently at him. "So much better," I said, sweetly. "Let go of my leg. I'm gonna try standing on it."

The Joker continued to smile, a rather _smug_ grin. I slid off the counter and tested my leg. It ached slightly so it was durable.

I kept my sweet and innocent smile on my face as I leaned against the counter. "Mind standing up, Mistah J?" I asked, sweetly.

The Joker straightened out of his crouch, his ever so smug Glasgow smile on his face.

I smirked and then cracked him in the jaw. I hit him so hard that he stumbled backwards into the counter. He didn't cry out in pain; he burst out laughing, grabbing his jaw where I had punched him.

The Joker laughed off the pain as he turned to face me. "So _vicious_, eh, Tiger?" he giggled.

"You _started_ it," I shot back, "First my head and now my leg."

"I hurt you to, ah, to help you," he replied with a tone that implied, 'duh'.

"And I hurt you _back_ to show how much I _appreciate_ the pain."

The Joker pushed off the counter and did his "skipwalk" towards me. I didn't want to get hurt again so I threw another punch. He grabbed my wrist and twisted my arm behind my back. Swiftly, the Joker knocked my feet out from under me, bringing me down to the floor.

As if that wasn't bad enough, he sat on my back so that I couldn't get up.

I heaved a deep sigh as I forced myself to relax. Things hurt less when you were relaxed. "Why?" I asked quietly, closing my eyes.

"I was, ah, _only_ going to give you a hug," the Joker replied, giggling softly. "You, ah, _started_ it."

I rolled my eyes.

"I, ah, _saw_ that."

"Saw what?" I asked in a teasing tone.

He bent over so he was close to my ear. "Your mood swings are as bad as mine," he giggled.

"You're quite influential."

The Joker laughed as he stood up, releasing my aching arm. I rolled onto my back, and he held out a hand, which I took. He pulled me up and into his embrace.

"Well, Mistah J," I remarked as I felt his arm slither around my waist. His other hand was roaming my side. "Feeling lustful?" I asked him.

"What, ah, makes you think _that_?" he asked, innocently.

I smirked. "I can see it in your expression."

The Joker stared at me, widening his eyes to give me an innocent puppy look.

"I'm sorry, puppy," I laughed, caressing his face, "But I've been working late. I'm tired."

"You owe me a, ah, a _tumble_," he reminded me with a pout.

"I know, but I gave you one earlier today. Go out and kill someone, if it makes you feel better."

"I already did," he protested. "I'm on the news!"

I tried to pull out of his embrace, but the Joker wouldn't let me go. "You're so _needy_!"

"I can't, ah, _help_ it that you're so _irresistible_," he murmured, kissing my cheek.

"I've been spoiling you," I whined. "I've ruined the zero-empathy characteristic of the criminal mastermind."

"I've, ah, told you before, Shadow. You'll ruin _every_ criminal mastermind, one way or another."

I grinned, sheepishly. "I'm quite destructive, aren't I?"

"I _like_ it when you're smug." The Joker slid his finger along my jaw.

"How did you survive without me, Mistah J?" I asked.

"I, ah, honestly can't remember." The Joker noticed the blood on my lower lip, and he grinned. He pressed his lips to mine, and I felt his part. I pulled away as his tongue slipped over my lip.

"Don't do that! You're not a vampire!" I snapped, backing up to the kitchen counter, and he laughed, licking his lips. "That's _my_ blood, not yours!" I roughly wiped the rest of the blood from my split lip. "I'm going to bed," I announced and stormed out of the kitchen.

I hadn't gone far. My laptop flashed something on the screen, and a familiar voice spoke.

"…_why sit back when you can be part of the action!"_ I moved over to the laptop, looking at a man who it took me a moment to realize who he was. The Riddler looked so much different without his green question mark suit, cane, and eyemask. He actually looked handsome without his criminal look.

"_NigmaTech brings the joy of 3-D entertainment into your _living room_!"_ the Riddler said before the media. _"Ladies and gentleman, let me tell you…"_ He paused, resting his hand over his heart. _"My vision…"_ He picked up a circular object with wings and a spiral around it body. _"The Box! In every home of America, and one day…the world!"_

"I thought, ah, you said you were going to bed."

"What's that man up to?" I asked outloud. I felt the Joker's arms slither around my waist and up my front, coffin style.

"What's it matter?" he whispered close to my ear.

I removed his hold on me and went into my bedroom, flipping open my cell phone. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I dialed a number and put the phone to my ear.

"_Hello?"_ a sleepy voice answered.

"Sorry to wake you, Dean, but I need you to do something for me," I said as the Joker appeared in my bedroom doorway. "Are you at the Joker's apartment?"

"_No."_

"Can you go there and see what the license plate of the Volvo is?"

"_Sure but why?"_ He sounded more awake.

"Don't ask why, just do it," I snapped, feeling tired and cranky at the same time.

"_All right, I'm on it. Did you settle anything with my boss?"_ Dean asked.

"Yes, but you'll still refer to him as 'boss'." I heard him jump and murmur a 'yes!', but then I hung up.

I rubbed my eyes, feeling my exhaustion creep up on me. The man who had attacked m on the beach had to have been the driver of the Volvo. I only managed to see the first three letters of the license plate, but if those were the first letters of the Joker's Volvo, then it might mean something that I didn't want.

"So, ah, _troubled_, Shadow." I jerked, surprised. The Joker sat beside me, his arms around me.

"How did you-?" I began.

"You were, ah, distracted," the Joker cut me off. "Let your worries go, Shadow." He pulled me with him, falling onto our backs.

"I told you I'm tired, Heath. The answer is no."

"Sleep then," he breathed, using his fingers to close my eyes. I opened them and frowned. "Why so serious, Shadow?"

I snapped. "Outta my room,_ mutt_."

The Joker looked stunned, and slightly hurt. "You don't ah, _mean_ that."

"Actually, I do. Get outta my room. I'll call you back in when I want you."

"No need to, ah, to be so mean," the Joker growled. He released me and stood, heading toward the door. Then, he stopped and turned back. An idea had popped into his head, and unfortunately for me, it was directed at me.

Before he lunged at me, I shadowed out into the living room to grab my laptop. As the Joker hurried out of my bedroom, I shadowed to Gotham Library.

It was the first place I could think of where I would be safe from Heath. I shadowed into the backroom where they did all the cataloging and such. The break room was a kitchen with a vending machine and a couch. I lay down on the couch, closing my eyes and wishing sleep to come.

While I waited, my mind raced. Who was the Joker's guardian, and why did he claim he was his secret guardian? No one loved the Joker – except for me, and Teresa and Crane in their own way – so why did anyone want to be his guardian? If anyone, it would be me, not some stranger.

But maybe my attacker wasn't a stranger to the Joker. It could be someone the Joker wronged in some way, but killing a family member? The man didn't have a recognizable voice, but if he was the Joker's "guardian", he might disguise his voice.

The man might not even be a male! A female could pull off a man's voice with practice.

Bu the silver Volvo pointed to one of the Joker's men. Dean hadn't tried to kill me so he was off the list. James and Brian, I didn't know them so well. Shaun was a playboy with little more, and Peter…was as unknown as James and Brian. I doubted it would be any of Dean's pals, but still…there was Peter's unreadable behavior to seeing me and the Joker making out…

My cell phone rang, and I picked it up. "What is it, Dean?" I asked.

_The license plate is 3M57C9,"_ Dean said.

I rubbed my eyes. I had forgotten I had sent him to check the Volvo's plate. "All right, thanks, Dean. False alarm. I'm sorry for waking you up so late."

"_You can make it up to me in the form of dinner,"_ he said, and then added quickly, _"As friends. Gordon has to be convinced that you have a relationship going."_

"True…" I covered my mouth as I yawned. "Go back to bed, Dean."

"_And you_ go _to bed. You sound tired," _he replied sounding a tad amused.

I rolled my eyes. "Night, Dean." I snapped the cell closed before he could respond.

My stomach growled. I sighed as I went over to the fridge to see if the librarians kept anything. There was a pizza box with a few slices so I took two pieces and put them in the microwave to heat up.

While I waited for my pizza to warm, I set up my laptop on the table and hacked into the MCU computers. I searched Anna Ramirez's name and address on it. I scribbled a little note, ending with my criminal name, and I shoved a MasterCard into the envelope.

"For your mother, from one of Shadow's many bank accounts," I murmured. I licked the envelope, sealed it, and then shadowed to the Mail Office, slipping it into a mailing box. I returned to the library, to a certain surprise.

Two women jumped on me, pulling me down to the ground. I pushed off the ground, somersaulting backwards over my attackers. Though it jarred my shoulders, I landed on the two women's backs, and we fell into a heap, me on top.

I free my arms and got to my feet. I recognized the two women as Echo and Query, the Riddler's gang. The blonde, Query stood up first, and she threw a punch at me. I bent back in a duck, and I spun in, elbowing her sharply in the chest. As she doubled over, Echo came up behind me and jumped on my back.

I grabbed her arm and threw her off me. I rolled out of the way as Query kicked at my head, and I came up behind her. Shoving her forward, I turned ninety degrees to bring my arm up in a block as Echo tired to throw a punch at me.

Grabbing her wrist, I pulled her arm over my shoulder and flipped her over my back again. This time, I kicked her in the stomach to keep her down longer.

Query had recovered, and she hung back, watching me through her eyemask. I stepped away from Echo to avoid a secret behind attack.

I mockingly motioned Query to come.

Query jumped onto the table and kicked my laptop. I managed to duck in time for the laptop to miss my head. It hit the wall and smashed into several pieces.

I lunged for Query's legs, but she jumped over me, spinning and hitting the back of my neck. I collapsed onto the ground, feeling my body become numb. Whatever she had hit, it had me pinned.

I heard clapping and moved my eyes toward the doorway. The Riddler stood there, dressed in his green suit and holding his question mark cane.

"Taken by surprise and you're still a clear-headed fighter, Shadow," he remarked. He pointed his cane at my damaged laptop. "I apologize for the computer. Query was desperate. Don't worry, I promise to replace it with something _better_." The Riddler held up a NigmaTech Box.

I would have refused if only I could have moved my lips.

* * *

**Shadow: Son of a gun! My laptop!**

**Joker: I'll get you a, ah, a new one.**

**Shadow: You don't even know that I'm in the hands of the Riddler yet.**

**Joker: *shrugs* So, I'm gonna know later, most likely. I have to be your knight in shining armor.**

**Shadow: *grins, pulls on his tie* I prefer the criminal in the purple suit.**

**D: *eyeroll* Oh bother…**

**NxS: *****giggles* Maybe he'll even have some help from a little birdie.... haha! Review please! (and to be fair, **Sin**'s ninja friend did most of the work, I just helped distract Mistah J)**


	45. Chapter 45

**D: What is it that makes **Sin** think she has the right to blame everything on Peter? He has mental problems, doesn't mean he hates Shadow, which means he _can't_ be the one trying to kill her.**

**NxS: D, you must realize that the readers have a right to state who they think is behind things. I bet none of them know who the _real_ villain in the story is. hehe, I know.**

**D: Of course you do. I've told you. I'd just like it if readers kept some of their conclusions to themselves. *looks at **Sin*** Otherwise, one might confuse the other readers or might influence their own conclusions. If you really want to say your conclusion, give it to me in a private message. Not like I'd answer and tell you if you're right or wrong.**

**NxS: Give **Sin** a break.**

**D: No, it's bad enough that I had to lock the puppy in a closet to get him off my nerves.**

**NxS: Harley says, "hi".**

**D: What? *clicks open puppy's switchblade*  
**

**NxS: Never mind *sly wink to readers* Onward!  
**

* * *

The cell phone snapped closed.

The Joker flipped it open and started to dial Shadow's number, but then he closed it again with another snap.

'Why did she have to be so _difficult_?' he thought to himself angrily.

Maybe he had made the wrong approach, to give her some free time from her restless thoughts. He knew what it was like having those running around his mind; that's why he could only sleep an hour at a time. Of course, that changed when Shadow entered his life, but nonetheless…he knew Shadow wasn't telling him something.

The Joker opened his cell, started to dial her number, and then cleared it. He dialed a different number and then put the phone to his ear.

"Peter, who was, ah, the last person to use the Volvo?" the Joker asked.

"_Shaun, I believe, boss,"_ Peter replied.

"Did he give a reason why?"

"_To get more gas and to play poker."_

"Why didn't you stop him?" the Joker growled, angrily. "It was only three _hours_ ago that I-!" The Joker stopped, closing his eyes and exhaling sharply. He snapped his cell phone closed, pinching the bridge of his nose. His body shook with anger, and he tried to calm himself. Before he knew it, he stood up and kicked the table over.

The pain hit him like a car.

The Joker screamed, collapsing on the floor. He grabbed his foot, withering on the floor. Breathing heavily, he took hold of the couch and got to his feet. He limped to the door and yanked it open, slamming it behind him.

The Joker left the apartment building, flipping open his cell phone and dialing a number. "Raven, pick up the damn phone," he growled. "Shadow's gone, and I know you'll be able to find her before I do."

"_Shadow's gone?" _Raven asked alarmed as she answered the phone.

"That's what I _just_ said, Raven!"

"_All right, I'm on it."_ Raven hung up.

* * *

I sat on the couch with my hands tied behind my back. Query and Echo sat on either side of me, and before me was the NigmaTech Box resting on the table.

"Dear Shadow, you look so uncomfortable," the Riddler remarked. "Why not _relax_ and try out my Box?"

"What's it supposed to do?" I asked, giving him a dangerous look.

"Surely you've seen my advertisement for the Box." I glared at him. He sighed and explained, "It takes the holographic image on a television screen and makes it 3-D."

"You dumbed it down. I'm proud of you, O' Intelligent One," I mocked.

The Riddler twirled his cane around, irritated.

"So you're manipulating brain waves." I pretended to be impressed. "Going into the power of reading minds, Riddler? Solve the riddle of how people think? Who helped you with this device? Your two loyal _lapdogs?_"

The Riddler moved around the table and placed his face inches from mine. "There's _always_ the riddle of other criminals' real names," the Riddler said.

I smirked. "Go ahead and read my mind then," I invited.

The Riddler moved out of the way. "With pleasure, Shadow," he said, and then pushed the button on his cane.

Instantly, I split my conscience, hoping this would work. My shadow stood on the other side of the room, and from there, I watched as my original self stared unblinkingly at the Box as it brought a 3-D visual of an old cartoon show.

My shadow saw the Riddler hold a strange device to his head, and a green aura came from the Box that connected to Query and Echo's foreheads. Surprisingly, it didn't touch mine.

The green energy came from Query and Echo's foreheads, went to the Box, which transferred it to the Riddler's device.

The Riddler frowned after a moment, and he took his device away, turning off his Box. "Shadow," he said, sharply.

My shadow smirked as I closed my eyes. "Ever heard…that people who read books can resist the temptation of television?" I asked as I gradually let my consciences to become one; I didn't want the Riddler's devise to work on me.

"How did you-?" he began, shocked.

"Every criminal has their own little trick up their sleeve," I told him. Behind my back, I had my hand on the Joker's old pocketknife that attached inside my watch. Flicking it open, I started sawing through the rope. "Yours is intelligence, the Penguin's is influence, Mr. Freeze is cold, Poison Ivy is plants, Catwoman is love, the Joker's is _pencils_…" I grinned as confusion appeared on the Riddler's face. "You should ask him to show you a magic trick some time. He'd be willing to show it off. He's showed me many times, and I'm lucky I'm still alive."

"You know that much about the Joker?" the Riddler asked.

"I've spoken with him while he was behind bars. His magic tricks are a one-time show." I licked my dry lips, hoping I hadn't given too much away.

"What about your trick?" the Riddler asked. "You didn't tell me yours."

"A magician never reveals his secrets," I said as movement caught my attention. My eyes wandered over to a single plant on the windowsill.

"A magician shows her _tricks_," the Riddler pointed out, impatiently. "What's your trick, Shadow?"

"Plant…"

"Plants are Poison Ivy's specialty," he reminded me tauntingly.

"I know," I snapped, "Just thought I'd warn you about-."

The plant burst, growing large tentacles of vines. They blasted free, knocking the Riddler, Query, and Echo down and out within seconds.

My bonds snapped free at the same time, and I shadowed out of the room, appearing out in the middle of the street. A car's headlights hit me, and the car honked as it swerved. I shadowed to the sidewalk instantly to avoid getting hurt.

A big hand covered my mouth, and then, I heard something hiss. Sleep came over me, making my eyelids droop. I tried to fight it, but I wasn't able to. The last thing I remembered was being slung over a huge shoulder, larger than a normal human's.

Incredible itchiness awoke me faster than the bitter smell in my nose. My eyes were puffy and difficult to open. I managed a narrow slit and saw curved lines of red along my arms, causing the itchiness.

"What is this?" a familiar voice asked. "Is Shadow _allergic_ to poison ivy?"

"Deathly," I murmured through puffy lips.

"She awakens." Through my narrow slits, I could make out part of Poison Ivy's face and her bright red hair. "Hold on, Shadow." I felt something pinch my arm, and I jerked, feeling a kind of burning spread through my body. "Hold her down, Bane," Poison Ivy purred.

My body spasmed as the burning coursed through my veins. I clenched my teeth, feeling it. It was so difficult to keep myself from screaming in agony.

It gradually faded, but I still nearly let my scream go.

"How do you feel?" Poison Ivy asked.

"Brilliant, Red," I said sarcastically through my clenched teeth.

"Don't be so nasty to your savior. The Riddler would have killed you." I blinked my eyes, clearing them. A man with ten times the normal muscle spam stood by my side, holding down my legs. "Let her go now, Bane," Poison Ivy told the monster. "Shadow, I would like you to meet Bane; Bane, this is Shadow."

"**Shadow**," Bane repeated his voice monstrous.

"What did you inject me with?" I asked Poison Ivy."

"A cure…your allergy to poison ivy is gone, and most poisons will be ineffective," Poison Ivy explained. "No worries from plants, dear Shadow," she added, her tone laced with some kind of affection.

I sat up, rubbing my legs where Bane's bruising grip. "Why did you cure my allergy?"

"As a favor, and as a reward." Poison Ivy smirked. "Get her, Bane."

Bane's huge hands gripped my shoulders, and I winced.

"Let's say that this is a test, Shadow," Poison Ivy said, calmly. "It's simple. Defeat Bane or you die. Simple rules, but the game has a complex answer. See if you can find it. You have twenty minutes or you lose."

As my mind registered the rules, Bane tightened his grip on my shoulders. I tried to pull free, but he had monstrous strength. If only I could shadow out of his grasp, it would be so helpful.

Bane lifted me up into the air, and I squirmed, typing to free myself. His grip was too tight, and he was continuing to tighten it. If I couldn't escape soon, my shoulders were going to snap.

Bane howled, and I wished my beloved puppy was here. I shook my head, mentally yelling at myself. I had to focus, to think so that I could come up with something.

The problem was: nothing was coming.

"Your time's ticking, Shadow," Poison Ivy said, "Might want to think fast. If you survive Bane, you can survive other men who are into their strength, such as Batman." She continued sounding like an older sibling explaining something obvious to a younger sibling.

"I'm acting on Batman's side," I grunted, wincing with the pain in my shoulders.

"But you're _officially_ one of us, Shadow. A criminal has to think fast in order to survive. Defeat Bane…and notice how I said to _defeat_ him, not _kill_ him."

Right, that helped a great deal when I couldn't even escape his grip.

I tried to ignore the pain in my shoulders and split my conscience. I was curious, despite my situation. Could my shadow cause _physically_ harm? I knew it had an effect on the Joker, but that was the Joker. Would it work on Bane?

My shadow appeared behind Bane, and I saw tubes connected into his head and back. A cylinder strapped to Bane's back contained some kind of yellow liquid. I wondered if that explained his monstrous strength.

As a shadow, I grabbed one of his tubes, but I couldn't make it budge.

Sharp pain snapped my conscience back into one, and I jerked, kicking backward. It was like kicking a brick wall; my heel hurt, and Bane didn't even grunt in pain.

"C'mon, Shadow, you can do better than _that_," Poison Ivy taunted. I gritted my teeth, cutting back a reply. I had to focus, or Bane would crush my shoulders into my head.

"Hello, _gorgeous_," a teasing voice whispered. I turned my head, looking for whoever had spoken, but I didn't see them.

"I'm _waiting_, Shadow," Poison Ivy remarked, impatiently. "Every criminal has his or her own trick."

"Did you, ow, listen in on my conversation with the Riddler?" I demanded, still straining to look for whoever had spoken. It had sounded like Teresa, but my mind couldn't focus well on anything but the pain in my shoulders.

I could have sworn that by now Bane's strength should have crushed my shoulders, or made cracks in the bones. Why wasn't he going anything? Was he disobeying Poison Ivy's order? But wait, did Red give her order to kill me within twenty minutes? How much time did I have left?

My mind wouldn't bring up the memory of what Red had told me or Bane. I gritted my teeth as I moved my arm enough so that I could see my watch. What time did I leave the apartment, having escaped to the library to get away from the Joker? Close to midnight? It was forty-three minutes past midnight. Red had knocked me out for quite some time.

I looked up and saw Poison Ivy watching me with examining eyes. She didn't even blink.

Then, I noticed that Bane wasn't tightening his hold on me, yet my shoulders hurt. What was going on?

"What did you, ah, do?" a rather familiar voice asked. Anger flared in me, aimed at him. Why was he here and how did he find me?

"Relax, Shadow." Teresa appeared, standing beside Poison Ivy. "I don't know _what_ you did, or how you did it, but I believe that right now would be the _best_ time to make our getaway."

I wasn't paying attention to her. My eyes met the Joker's brown orbs. "Why are _you_ here?" I demanded, angrily.

He glared back at me. "To be your knight in shining armor," he growled, "You were, ah, in danger." The Joker jerked his chin in Bane's direction.

"How did you-?"

"Shadow! Mister J! Please, focus here," Teresa yelled, getting our attention. "Listen, first we get away and _then_ you two can argue all you want back in the apartment. For now, at least, _focus_, please!"

I wanted to tell her to shut her mouth, but I kept quiet. He Joker moved his angry glare onto Bane, who seemed frozen for some reason.

"Shadow, you listening to me?"

"Yes," I growled.

"Good, now relax, maybe you'll slide out of this monster's grasp."

"His name is Bane," I told her, snarling. The Joker's eyes fell upon me in shock, but I ignored him. I tried relaxing, but I was still stuck.

"Mister J, go get those rods over there," Teresa ordered.

"Since when, ah, did _you_ give the orders?" he demanded.

"_Fetch_ the _poles_, puppy," Teresa snarled.

"You can't-."

"I can if I want to. Go fetch." The Joker glared at her, placing his feet firmly on the ground. She looked at him and met his belligerent gaze, matching it with one of her own.

I tried squirming out of Bane's frozen grasp, kicking at the air to slip out, but that didn't work. Surprisingly, Teresa was managing to hold her glare against the Joker's.

"Both of you, mind helping me here?" I demanded.

Teresa broke from the staring contest, and I saw a grin on the Joker's face. "See now who's the one asking to get outta here?" Teresa teased, ignoring the Joker's victory. "Get the rods, Mister J."

"Make me," he said, sounding like a stubborn child.

"Puppy, do what she says," I growled. He snarled at me, but went to go fetch the poles.

"It's like you two are dogs," Teresa remarked faintly amused.

"Close, he's the dog, I'm his shadow."

"You're a shadow dog then," she quipped, definitely amused.

I shrugged, wincing in pain. "Yeah, I suppose that's what I am." The Joker returned with two three-foot-long rods, and he tossed one to Teresa clumsily, as if he was expecting her to miss. She caught it neatly, and his eyes narrowed. "So, two criminals with rods against a monster with their fellow criminal in his hands. What are you going to do? Hit him until he drops me?" I asked.

"No, we're going to try to wrench open his hands," Teresa said, sliding her rod between my shoulder and Bane's huge hand.

"Ow, that hurts," I complained.

"It's gonna have to be a sacrifice. Mister J, you in position?"

The Joker glared at her; he had his rod in the same position. "What's, ah, it _look_ like?"

I rolled my eyes. It was gonna be me and Scarecrow all over again, just this time it was Teresa and the Joker.

"All right, Shadow, try to make yourself small," Teresa ordered, "While we pull."

"This is gonna hurt," I murmured.

"We just, ah, need to push you far enough from his hands so that you can shadow out of his grasp," the Joker explained, coolly. Teresa looked at him and then me.

"You could have shadowed earlier," she protested.

"Not when someone's _holding_ me. They'd shadow _with_ me." I glanced pointedly at the Joker, seeing his scars twitching with the corners of his mouth.

"All right, Mister J, _pull_." I screamed as they yanked, their rods digging into my already pained shoulders. Tears burst from my eyes as I cried, kicking my legs in the air.

"I _hate_ you!" I screamed, withering with the rods continuing to dig into my skin. I split my conscience, ready to go, and when the pain was too much, I tried to shadow away…and surprisingly succeeded.

I hugged myself, sobbing on the ground. I didn't want to move; the pain was the center of my world. Blinking away tears, my vision cleared, and I found myself back in the library.

The Riddler and his gang were gone. My pizza still waited in the microwave. I tried to ignore the pain and went to the microwave, transferring the pizza into the refrigerator. I wasn't hungry.

My laptop still lay on the ground with scattered broken pieces. I started to pick it up, thinking to rebuild it and see if anything survived, but then, I only threw it in the dumpster in the library parking lot. There was a reason I kept extra files of my items, and this was it.

I shadowed to my apartment and found the Joker's bag on my kitchen counter. Searching it, I found a grenade. I went back to the library, pulled the pin, and tossed the grenade.

It landed in the dumpster and exploded, sending up flames and smoke. I didn't want anyone finding my laptop and getting my files.

I waited on the sidewalk underneath a streetlight. Teresa's BMW came down the street, lights on me. They had probably seen the explosion and guessed it to be me; it was the Joker's specialty. Teresa pulled up, and I climbed into the passenger's seat.

"Feel, ah, better, _beautiful_?" the Joker asked behind me, giggling softly.

I took a moment to search my feelings, and then, a grin stretched over my mouth. "_So_ much better," I responded. "I understand why you enjoy explosives."

* * *

**Joker: *jumping* Yes! I, ah, pushed her over the edge.**

**Shadow: You wish. I was the one who retrieved the grenade.**

**Joker: But it was, ah, **_**my**_** grenade, dear Shadow.**

**Shadow: Whatever you say, Mistah J.**

**Joker: *glances at D* She's happy again.**

**D: *eyeroll* Just a warning to all readers. The next chapter is sorta a time travel chapter. We're moving into the future, haha. *nervous laugh* This chapter has boggled me for too long. *glares at it***

**NxS: ****It's not an actual time travel chapter. We're just skipping some uneventful days... sort of. D's been having some trouble with it. *rolls eyes* anyways, don't forget to review.**

* * *

**D: And just as a side note, my beta reader is currently on vacation and so far, it doesn't seem like she could get wireless internet. You readers have caught up to us in the beta-ed chapters so I don't know how long you'll have to wait, but NxS needs time to beta chapter 46. In the meantime, I'll continue writing - I'm on chapter 49 right now, YAY, almost to 50 chapters! anyone remember me saying in the earliest of chapters that I thought this story would only go until like 30 chapters, boy was I dead wrong - and typing chapters up. Once NxS has beta-ed chapter 46, I'll send it out.**

**Joker: It's actually a, ah, a good time for NxS to go on vacation too. The readers won't be missing anything really since the next chapter is just a, ah, a series of little side stories that wouldn't fit along with the whole plot. Time passes...**

**D: Remember, I still love you all! And I'll be here writing in case you need to talk to me on private messages or whatever. ;) Same goes for the puppy.**

**Joker: *grunts* Don't think, ah, I'm here for hugs and kisses. I'm just here to inspire D, and take over NxS's place as the slave driver, except I'll be worse.**

**D: *smacks his nose* That's from NxS! And this is from me. *kisses him***

**Joker: *blushes and slips out of the room to hide from nosy readers*  
**


	46. Chapter 46

**NxS: I'm back! *catches Joker before he knocks her over* Miss me?**

**Joker: Darn right, I did! You should see, ah, how many chapters D got written and typed, all ready for you.**

**NxS: I'm amazed.**

**D: *grins* Anyway...here is the time traveling chapter. Don't worry, the next chapter will bring the story back to rights. Shadow will go anything that's important in the time we're traveling through.**

**Shadow: That I will.**

**Joker: I wanna know, ah, why you didn't just start _after_ the time travel and put at the top "some number weeks later…" or however long we're traveling through.**

**NxS: She didn't want to just leave her readers hanging, going "what the heck happened between this chapter and the last?"**

**D: Exactly, and I'd like to end that this will be broken into many sections but I'll tell you the time. The first passage is two weeks since the beginning of the story…now onto the time travel. This chapter is gonna be _really_ long!**

**NxS: I'd also like to take this opportunity to say "Thank you" to everyone who hoped I had a fun vacation. It would have been better with internet access, haha, but I had a fun time. Onward to the chapter of uber longness!**

* * *

_**14 Days**_

I lay comfortably on the couch, reading a book I hadn't had the chance to finish for weeks. With my feet dangling over the arm-rest of the couch, my back on the main seating pillows and my hair flowing all across the seats, I felt comfy. And I was completely oblivious to the world around me as the book got to a very intense part.

"There she is, ah, again," a sing-song voice called, "Reading, just like ol' times."

I narrowed my eyes at the line I was reading. That wasn't what it said.

And then, someone jumped on the other side of the couch, and snatched the book away from me. I blinked and then turned, yelling, "Hey! You jerk!"

The Joker giggled as he jumped off the couch, racing to stand behind the chair. I sat up and glared at him. "Getting to a good part?" he asked me, teasingly.

"Yes, _Heath_!" I growled.

"Be nice, Sara. I'm not, ah, going to hurt it." The Joker had a finger in my spot, and he balanced the book on the back of the chair, reading a few lines. "Oh, come _on_," he grunted. "Jason? The main character, of course he's going to slay the evil magician! The hero _always_ defeats the villains!"

I was watching his finger, and I looked up, meeting his teasing brown eyes. "Don't you _dare_," I snarled through clenched teeth.

"Pardon?" the Joker asked, putting a hand to his ear like he hadn't heard me.

"Don't you dare," I repeated anyway.

"Dare what?"

I glared daggers at him, and he started laughing.

"What? Dare to do _this_?" He snapped the book closed.

I shadowed from the couch to jump him from behind. Grabbing him by his unbuttoned vest, I roughly pulled him backward, throwing him to the ground. The Joker burst out laughing, holding up my book, as if giving it to me would calm me. I smacked it out of his hand and then straddled him, cracking him in the jaw.

He bit his tongue, but continued to laugh, tasting his own blood. I leaned in, my burning eyes meeting his shining ones. "_Never_," I growled, "Touch my books _again_." I picked up my book, flipping through the pages to try to find my place while ignoring the Joker as he continued to laugh.

"It was page two-hundred sixty-three," he supplied, giggling softly. I only threw a glare at him, seeing him shudder. It was evident that my eyes had turned purple again.

"What is it that makes you shudder, Heath?" I asked him, suddenly calm as my mind switched focus.

"Just the _feeling_ of seeing purple eyes when I'm used to, ah, to seeing bright blue." My eyes narrowed; he wasn't answering my question…_again_.

I heard my apartment door open, and Dean call. "Hey, Jane, you ready?"

"No, she's not!" the Joker yelled, angrily. I smacked him, not to hurt him but hard enough to make him shut up.

"Mind reminding me why I should be ready?" I called out to Dean.

"Maybe I should come later," Dean answered.

"Dean, _get in here!_" I ordered, slightly ticked off. He shouldn't be afraid of the Joker while I was in the room.

Dean came reluctantly. His eyes slightly widened when he saw me sitting on the Joker's chest, but he didn't comment on that. "Technically, you don't have to be ready for anything, Shadow, but-." The Joker let out a low growl when Dean used my criminal name, but I covered his mouth with a hand, nodding to give Dean the signal to continue. "There's something outside that you should probably see."

"And what is it?" I demanded.

"Teresa told me not to tell; she just told me to go get you," Dean said with a frown.

I lowered my eyebrows in thought. Why was Teresa treating Dean like a dog, making him come fetch me, _especially_ when the Joker was in the room?

I heard a soft click and knew that the Joker had clicked open his switchblade, ready to hurt me if I didn't end his humiliation in front of his least-favorite person. "I'll be out there in a second." Dean took the hint and left rather quickly.

I uncovered the Joker's scarred mouth.

"If you ever do that again," he warned.

"Stop growling at me, Mister J," I told him, rolling off him before climbing to my feet, "Some humiliation was in order for you anyway." I found my place in my book, put my bookmark in it, and then, looking pointedly at the Joker as he got to his feet, dropped the novel on the table. "Ne touchez pas à mon livre."

"What?" he demanded, his eyes squinting in confusion.

"Don't touch my book," I snapped, grabbing my jacket and pulling on my sneakers before I headed out of the door.

"Well, excuse me if I don't, ah, speak French," the Joker growled, following me out. I glanced at him over my shoulder in confusion. "It's past ten, Shadow. I'm allowed to, ah, to go outside without people knowing. Besides, your nosy landlady isn't here."

I shrugged and raced down the stairs. Coming to the landing, the Joker shoved me into the wall and then burst into laughter as he ran the rest of the way. "Cheater!" I called, chasing after him. He waited for me to catch up on the first floor and then grabbed me, covering my eyes with his hands. "What the-?"

"It's a, ah, a _surprise_, Shadow," he answered, moving behind me.

"So you were in on this too?"

"Raven called me, ah, before I stole your book."

"Which I hate you for."

"You'll learn to, ah, to forgive me." He urged me forward, and he led me outside, warning me about the stairs.

"All right, uncover her eyes," Teresa ordered. I heard the Joker exhale loudly in exasperation, but he obeyed.

I blinked in shock. "Tell me I'm dreaming," I said to no one in particular. The Joker giggled behind me as I stepped forward, holding out my shaking hand. I touched the smooth surface and then started squealing like an excited little girl.

Teresa and Dean started laughing as I ran to each of them in turn, hugging them tightly. I went to the Joker last, and he caught me and twirled me in a circle before setting me down on the ground. I returned to the present and looked at the three of them. "This is honestly for me?" I asked.

"Who else needs a car?" Dean asked, shrugging slightly. "Besides, a blue Sentra fits your personality."

I saw the Joker turn his head to glare at Dean, but Teresa shoved the Joker aside, making him turn his glare on her. "What do _you_ know about my personality, Dean?" I asked him, smug. He only shrugged casually. "Can I drive it?"

"I think you can," Teresa said, looking uncertain.

I rolled my eyes, seeing through the act and humor. "I mean, _may_ I drive it _now_?"

"As long as it's a quick drive. You have work tomorrow." Teresa tossed me the keys, and I whooped, running around to the driver's seat. I opened the door and jumped in, running my hands over the steering wheel, liking the _feel_ of the car. "And look on the passenger's seat, Shadow."

I turned my head and gasped. On the passenger's seat was a black MacBook. "You've _got_ to be kidding me!" I squealed, grabbing it.

The Joker tapped on the window, and I pushed the button, rolling it down. "Don't, ah, get distracted, Shadow," he said. "You wanna drive the Sentra; you're going to have to, ah, drive it now before your bedtime."

"All right, _Dad_," I mocked, in a teasing tone. He grinned and stepped back as I turned on the car. The low hum was comforting, and I felt the wheel again. "Did you guys know that I've _never_ owned my own car?" I asked, adjusting the mirrors.

"Did you hijack them?" Teresa asked through the window.

"How else was I going to get them, especially when I was more of a bus or subway person?" I brought the seat front a bit so that I was comfortable. "I _love_ this car."

"You love the Joker more, right?" Teresa asked, slightly amused. "Cause if Mister J heard that, he'd feel like he had competition and might want to wreck the car."

I grinned. "He's not touching my baby." I patted the dashboard, affectionately.

"Are you going to name your 'baby'?"

"No, Sentra is fine." I pressed on the gas to listen to its soft rumble. I really liked it. "Might want to step back," I told Teresa. "It's been awhile since the last time I drove a car. I might be a little rusty." She smirked but stepped away.

I pulled out of the parking space and drove slowly down the road, getting used to the car. Coming to the end, I grinned and stepped on the gas before turning the wheel. The car squealed as it changed lanes easily, now heading in the opposite direction. I sped down the street, howling out the window, hearing the Joker's laughter over Dean and Teresa's.

I _loved_ this car!

* * *

_**15 Days**_

I tapped my pencil on a notepad on my desk. I was at the MCU, waiting for my new MacBook to download its connection to the MCU computers. As a detective, I had a right to go into the computers, but I had double-checked with Gordon to make sure since he knew that I had some really bad habits.

Not every criminal gave up being a criminal when they had their dream job, especially when they were in love with a crazy criminal mastermind.

I began to sketch a random cartoon face, bored with waiting for the download to finish. I glanced out the window at my new Sentra, smiling proudly at my first car. I was twenty-four, and I had _finally_ gotten my first car, one that _I_ didn't have to pay for. That part was the Joker's gift; he was paying for even the gas.

"That's a really good picture you have." I jerked, looking up to see Gordon. He motioned to my picture, and I looked at it, my heart skipping a beat when I realized that I had started to draw a cartoon joker. "Take you a lot of practice?" Gordon asked.

"No, I sometimes draw whoever is on my mind."

"And the Joker's on your mind?"

I wanted to slap myself for saying that. "Just thinking that he hasn't really done anything for three days."

"He has an irregular schedule," the Commissioner said, "Much like you'll have." He sat down on the corner of my desk, and I moved the notepad so that he'd have room. My desk was smaller than the others, even though it was much tidier. "I've decided upon your schedule, Jane; you'll have three regular days to come in and then you'll have to try to keep as open as possible with all the other days of your week so that we can call you in. Now, I understand that you have a life outside work as detective, but that's part of the police's job: to be ready for anything. Sometimes, we're not open, but other times, we will be so it's not much of a problem if someone can't come in. You're not the only detective on reserve, Jane."

I nodded understandingly. "What are my regular days, Commissioner?"

"Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from nine to nine," he replied.

"Long days," I remarked, "But I shouldn't complain since there are others, like you, who work longer days, every day." A smile crept upon his face, but it didn't make it to his eyes. I looked at him closely. "Is everything all right, Gordon?"

"There _is_ a matter that I want to discuss with you, Jane," he admitted.

I turned in my chair so that I faced him, giving him my full attention.

"It was you who sent Ramirez the MasterCard to pay for her mother's hospital bill, wasn't it?"

"Yes." I couldn't lie about something that I was doing out of kindness. "It's one of my bank accounts. You know I was a thief before, but I have gotten several legitimate jobs before, making up for that money. This bank account that she'll be taking money out of _is_ legal, Gordon, I promise."

Gordon nodded, and I felt ashamed. I could have lied to this man, and he wouldn't have suspected it. He trusted me too much.

"You know, Gordon, maybe you shouldn't have me working for you. I'm rather untrustworthy."

"Just because you admitted it means that you're more trustworthy than you think you are." He grinned, but it was a serious smile. It irritated me because a smile should be for a happy look, not to keep someone serious. I almost laughed out loud at that thought; no wonder why I enjoyed the Joker's Glasgow smile. "Promise me one thing, Jane. Promise not to ever use the hospital bill against Ramirez. Maroni has done that already; she shouldn't be used like that again."

"And I fully agree with you, Gordon. I promise; I wasn't going to use it against her anyway. She's too nice of a person, a hard worker. She doesn't deserve to be used like that twice."

I drove home in my baby Sentra, wishing I could go faster than thirty-five miles per hour. Entering the apartment building, I jumped in surprise to see my landlady had returned.

"Good evening, Jane," she greeted, smiling brightly.

"Evening, Mrs. Wood," I returned. "How were the grandkids?"

"As hyper as ever." She looked at me curiously. "Did anyone get a dog while I was out?"

"No, why?" I asked, confused. Other than the possibility of the Joker barking with laughter, I couldn't imagine anyone else in this apartment building getting a dog.

"I've heard some barking lately, and I'm pretty sure it's coming from upstairs."

"Do you want me to check, since I'm going up there anyway?"

"That's kind of you, Jane."

"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Wood," I told her as I headed upstairs. "I'll come tell you what I figure out." I walked slowly down the hallway toward my apartment, slower than I usually do, straining for the sound of barking. As I moved slowly, I did hear a soft yipping and wondered what kind of dog it was. I checked the entire floor and couldn't locate it so I headed into my apartment to make sure it was just the Joker barking for the heck of it. If it was, I wanted an explanation from him.

I only opened the door and closed it behind me. I heard a loud bark, and then a dog raced at me, halting two feet in front of me, growling. I didn't move, staring at it, recognizing it as a rottweiler. The dog stopped growling at me, and sat down on his hindquarters, tilting his head to the side curiously.

"I was, ah, _trying_ to keep him quiet." I looked up to see the Joker coming from the living room. "Heel, Buddy," he ordered, and the dog raced to his feet.

"Buddy? Heath, you brought a _pup_!"

"I found him on the streets, Sara." The Joker crouched and rubbed the rottweiler's ears. "I have a, ah, a soft spot for puppies. Besides, I've worked with rottweilers before."

I heard soft whimpering, and I noticed something squirming in the Joker's pocket. "What the heck, Heath?"

The Joker pulled out two smaller pups from his pocket. He placed them on the ground, and one of them stumbled toward the other, pressing against it for warmth.

"Where's their mother? They're not even two weeks old!" I protested.

"This one is," the Joker said, pointing to the one who had stumbled over to the other. "His eyes are open. This one is less than two weeks old, I'm, ah, guessing a few days away from opening her eyes though."

"Heath…" I whispered.

"I fed them, Sara. I wasn't going to let innocent pups die out on the street."

I sighed and shook my head at him. "You really _do_ have a soft spot for puppies."

"C'mon, I named Buddy over there. You can name these two."

"Heath, we can't-."

"We can," he argued, angrily. Buddy started growling until the Joker gestured at him with his hand to calm down. "I'll just have to, ah, to move you."

"_Move_ me?! Heath, do you know how _suspicious_ that would be?" I demanded.

"Doesn't matter. I can't watch these pups at all times."

"And neither can I! Gordon has set my schedule."

"Then have Dean watch them while you're working!"

I was about to argue, but then became surprised as his words sank in. "_Dean?_ You'd let _Dean_ take care of the puppies."

"I consider rottweilers family," the Joker responded, looking me straight in the eye. He was serious about this; not only did I see it in his expression but he wasn't pausing like he usually did. He really _wanted_ to keep these puppies. "If necessary, I'll allow Dean to watch them."

I looked down at the puppies, admiring them. I had always wanted a rottweiler; I thought they were the best dogs around. Watching the two little ones lay pressed up against one another, I felt responsible for them, like _I_ was their mother now.

I sighed, closing my eyes and just concentrating on my breathing. "Let me go talk to my landlady," I told him. I opened my eyes in time to see his excited expression vanish from his face, like he was trying to hide his victory. Without saying another word, I left the apartment to go speak to Mrs. Wood about the rottweilers.

* * *

_**17 Days**_

I held the female puppy in my arms, patting her stomach gently as I fed her from a baby bottle. I was sitting on the couch while the Joker was on the ground, playing tug-of-war with Buddy. The male puppy – who was about sixteen days old, named Prince – tried standing on his four legs, staggering about for a few minutes before sitting down again to rest.

"It's like a family," I murmured. "Isn't that right, Scout?" I asked the puppy in my arms. She squirmed and then opened her eyes slowly. "Heath, she's opened her eyes."

The Joker abandoned the tug-of-war game and came quickly to sit next to me. He moved so fast that he scared me. "I have a, ah, a reason to come when my baby opens her eyes," he told me.

"Your _baby_," I teased him.

"Shut up," he mumbled and then kissed my cheek softly.

* * *

_**20 Days**_

The Joker tapped on the doorway, and I looked up. I was sitting in the middle of my bed with my MacBook, Scout and Prince pawing at one another behind me. Buddy lay beside me.

"I wanted to let you know that I'll be gone for a few weeks," he said.

"Why and where?"

He shrugged. "A criminal mastermind has to explore his city every once in awhile. I won't be coming back here for a few weeks. I'll remain in Gotham; I'll be around."

"Why aren't you coming back here?"

"Gordon's keeping an eye on you and this apartment, Sara."

"Really, Heath, you expect me to simply believe that."

"Actually, yes." I was stunned. "It's to free you, and besides, I need to concentrate more on my job for now. Gotham's wondering why I've been slacking. Besides," the Joker said, jerking his chin in the direction of our three puppies. "You have our _children_ to look after, as well as a job of your own. I've already set up the babysitting with Raven. She can watch the pups while you're at work."

"What _happened_ to you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. He looked at me curiously, not understanding. "What happened to the pausing zero-empathy, mass-murdering psychopath? Where is the Joker?"

The Joker revealed his Glasgow smile. "He was replaced for some time by Heath Ledger," he answered me. "I've been slacking. I need to get back into shape, and at the same time, it would probably be best if we separated-."

"You're not pulling _that_ off again, are you? You _know_ how much it hurt the last time, how much it _failed_."

"I know, but this time, we can pull it off. I guarantee that I'll return. You'll be too busy between your job, Dean, and these darlings to worry about me."

I simply stared at him, feeling my sadness creep up on me.

"Please, Sara, don't give me a sad face," the Joker pleaded, approaching the bed. "I don't wanna see you sad when I leave."

"Then how else would you know that I'll miss you?" I asked, outstretching my arms toward him. He embraced me, being careful of Buddy who happened to get stuck between us. It was a quick hug because Buddy started growling.

"They know you're leaving," I told the Joker.

"They probably won't remember me by the time I come back," he said, casually.

"They'll remember their father," I said, firmly.

He smiled and kissed me. Again, Buddy growled in protest so the Joker pulled away from me and then headed toward the door. I climbed off the bed and raced after him, catching him before he walked out of my apartment. I threw my arms around his neck and returned his kiss.

The passionate kiss broke when the Joker and I burst out laughing when Scout and Prince joined Buddy in growling, like kids who were disgusted by seeing their parents kiss.

* * *

_**23 Days**_

A startled cry broke my concentration from the book I was reading. I looked up and toward the entrance hall where Buddy and Prince stood, wagging their tails. Poor Teresa stood trapped in a little corner; she looked slightly pale.

"Buddy, Prince, come here," I called, and they padded over to me, obediently. I put my book down and went to see if Teresa was all right. "Sorry about that," I said. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Teresa replied too quickly, patting her hair down, nervously. Her eyes were wide, still focused on my two boys. "It's just them?"

"No, there's Scout too." I whistled, and Scout came running out of the kitchen, licking her jaws.

"How _old_ are they?" Teresa asked. "Mister J told me that they were puppies."

"They are puppies. Buddy's more than three months, Prince is older than three weeks, and Scout is two days younger than Prince."

Teresa stared at me in disbelief. "Are they trained?"

"Not completely, but-."

"Puppies, like Prince and Scout, are not _that_ trained when they're less than a month old."

"Did you research this?"

"Of _course_ I did, Shadow! I need to be a babysitter for these three! I should know what they need," she replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I looked down at the three puppies that were waiting for Teresa to pay attention to them other than staring. "Maybe it has to do with my shadowing ability," I suggested. "Bit of my shadow in them or something?"

"One of these days," Teresa said, approaching the puppies carefully, "We'll have to explore your ability, because there's the possibility that you have control over time. If you do, then that would explain why these puppies are mentally growing so fast. Normally puppies would still be stumbling around. They're growing strong really fast then if they are really as young as you say."

I shrugged. "I'm just as confused as you. They shouldn't be too difficult for you tomorrow. You did come today to get used to them before you had to watch them, right?"

"That, and to visit my Puppy-less friend."

"At least he wasn't here to hear you call him that," I said, and Teresa grinned.

* * *

_**51 Days**_

I came home to the sound of laughter and rolled my eyes. Teresa and Crane were watching some kind of comedy movie. Having opened the door, I alerted my puppies, and the three of them came, Prince and Scout bounding toward me excitedly while Buddy acted more mature.

"Did you miss me, my pups?" I asked, giving them pats on the head.

"You're home," Teresa called.

"I noticed that," I replied sarcastically as I headed into the kitchen, Prince and Scout on my heels. Buddy loped back to the living room to lie down on his pillow. I grabbed a glass of water and Tylenol, a pounding headache causing me pain, as usual.

I had noticed that they tended to get worse with time. The Joker had been gone for three weeks, doing whatever he might be doing. There was no way I could contact him; he had made sure of that by leaving his cell phone in my apartment. I missed him, but I knew he'd be back.

Unlike him, I had patience, otherwise I wouldn't have kept his wanted puppies.

It didn't matter. With the Joker gone, _I_ was the one who trained our puppies, and I was getting quite a lot of progress from all three of them, Scout in particular. I told the basics to Teresa so that she could help me when she had the time between her two jobs as secretary in Arkham and as a partner with Crane in terrorizing the city – she had dropped her job as a waitress since that had only been a way to get contact to me. How she knew that I would go to a restaurant, I don't know, but it could've been some kind of sixth sense.

My beloved puppy was in for a great surprise when he came home, and if he planned on trying to sneak into my apartment at night, he wasn't going to go far with that when I had the rottweilers with me.

* * *

_**58 Days**_

I had set cameras up throughout my apartment, all connected to my laptop. Teresa sat with me on my bed, watching a movie – I still didn't have a television set and there was no point when I had a laptop that could do the job for me.

Buddy's head rose from his paws on the ground, and he let out a low growl.

Teresa poked me and whispered, "Seems like someone Buddy knows is coming home."

"Or it could be Dean," I said distractedly, still watching the movie.

"C'mon, Shadow, snap out of it." Teresa reached over and paused the movie.

I glared at her as she switched to the cameras in my apartment. "I was _watching_ that."

She rolled her eyes. "It's a love story, Shadow. Of _course_ you were watching it. I paused it so that you'd know whether or not your _lover_ boy came home."

"Really?" I felt excitement run through me, and I perked up. Teresa saw my face light up, and she chuckled softly. "How do you know?"

Teresa motioned to Buddy who had gotten to his feet, sneaking out of the room, heading toward the door. Scout and Prince bounded down from Teresa and my laps and followed the older pup, quietly.

In the cameras, Buddy, Scout, and Prince took up their positions, and it surprised me how Scout was the one who took charge of the situation.

The apartment door opened, and in the dimness, I managed to see that white-painted face with black eyes and red lips that I recognized and loved. He closed the door behind him quietly like he was planning on sneak up on me. I grinned; this was going to be interesting.

Teresa took my hand and then yanked me off the bed. She clapped a hand over my mouth and spoke in a whisper. "This would be better to see the real action rather than on camera," she whispered.

Then, I felt a chilly shiver run over me, and I shuddered. Glancing at my hand, I saw a dim outline of it, but not the hand itself. Teresa had used her invisibility on both of us. She led me out into the living room where we sat down on the couch, watching the Joker as he stalked toward the kitchen, glancing inside to see if I was in there.

Scout barked. The Joker jumped and spun around, flicking open his switchblade that he had retrieved out of his pocket. He looked around, his eyes moving wildly until they landed on the youngest puppy who sat in the middle of the hallway.

Her tail started wagging as the Joker continued to stare at her. I could hear him exhale loudly in relief, but he remained tense as he moved into the living room.

Scout moved in front of him and stood there, her tail stiff and her lips pulled back in a snarl. The Joker merely glanced at her and took a step forward. Then, Scout bounded at his leg, grabbing his pant leg and tugging.

Prince shot out from under the chair in the living room and grabbed the Joker's other leg. At this, the Joker had difficultly trying not to laugh. He held onto the wall to keep himself steady as the two puppies tugged on his pants, not hard enough to rip them. He glanced at the bedroom door, and I knew that he knew that I had trained them to do this.

"And where's Buddy?" the Joker murmured. That's when Buddy came shooting out of the kitchen, jumping on him from behind. Under the weight, the Joker fell over, and the three rottweilers climbed on him, grabbing his arms. Buddy got hold of the back of the Joker's jacket, and he dug a paw into the Joker's back.

I burst out laughing, and Teresa released her hold on my hand. The Joker strained to look up at me, but Scout and Prince growled, even when their mouths were full of the Joker's sleeves.

"This is, ah, how you _welcome_ your boyfriend home?" the Joker demanded, wincing as Buddy dug his paw in farther.

"Enough, pups," I told my puppies. They released the Joker and bounded over to me, Scout and Prince jumping up onto my lap and Buddy sitting at my feet. The Joker climbed to his feet and straightened his jacket. He looked disapprovingly at Teresa.

"And making her, ah, _invisible_ wasn't necessary," he growled.

Teresa smiled sweetly at him, not trying to hide behind fake innocence while she rubbed Scout's ears. "It was either she saw it through cameras or she saw it in real action, Mister J. I came up with the idea for the latter so I _proudly_ take the blame. Besides, it was fun to watch."

"You, ah, trained them well," the Joker remarked, ignoring Teresa.

I shrugged. "It wasn't all my doing." He tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Since the little incident of me freezing Red and Bane, Teresa has come up with a theory that I have control over time, though, if I _did_, I wouldn't have waited for a whole _month_ to pass for you to return." I threw a narrowed gaze at my friend who shrugged and continued patting the puppies.

The Joker took a step forward, and Scout yipped at him, making him stop and glance behind him, like he was expecting another rottweiler to attack him from behind.

"You know there's only three of them, Mistah J," I said, rolling my eyes.

"I wouldn't, ah, know if you'd get more because you love them so much."

"You claim _you're_ a rottweiler?" Teresa mocked.

The Joker glared at him. "As a matter of fact, I _do_."

"Rottweilers are guard dogs," I explained, rubbing Prince's ears. "They protect family and their territory, but at the same time, they're _very _affectionate." I looked up and grinned at the Joker. "Very much like my puppy over there, standing alone while his family's near the family friend."

Teresa's cell phone rang, and she pulled it out of her pocket, flipping it open. "Hi there, Jon," she said, happily. She listened for a second and then said, "All right, I'm coming." She snapped the phone closed.

"Jon's calling for you," I stated.

"I _know_ that," she said, shoving me so that I fell over on the couch. Prince and Scout yelped in surprise and scattered onto the floor.

Teresa stood up and walked past the Joker to retrieve her jacket from the entrance. "I'll see you two later," she called, "And Mister J, be _gentle_ with Shadow. Gordon's been working her hard."

"It kept me busy," I murmured, picking up Scout and scratching her head. I saw Teresa stick her tongue out at the Joker before she closed the apartment door, and figured at my puppy had started it, being the four-year-old that he claimed he was. "I missed you, Heath," I said once I was sure that Teresa was gone.

"The same," he replied, moving toward the couch. Buddy lifted his head and growled at him. The Joker tried the other side, but then, Prince and Scout bared their teeth at him. "So much for them being, ah, affectionate to family." He looked at me, a begging look on his painted face.

I smiled, still patting Scout. "What do you say?" I asked, teasingly.

"_Please _detach yourself from the pups and give, ah, _me_ have some attention," he whined with a pout.

I started laughing softly as I placed Scout on the couch. She tried to climb back on my lap, but I held her away with one hand as I stood up. Buddy rose to his paws and growled at me. I grinned and shadowed to appear behind the Joker.

I jumped up onto his back, and he managed to catch me in a piggyback. Hugging his neck, I brought my mouth close to his ear. "Okay, head into the kitchen. I can bribe them into leaving us alone."

"You can, ah, do that?" the Joker asked, shifting me so that he could carry me better. He turned and as soon as the puppies saw that I was on his back, they raced forward, barking in protest as the Joker carried me into the kitchen. The Joker laughed at their little attempts to jump up and reach me. "I guess, ah, I lost the loyalty of Buddy to you," the Joker remarked, noticing that Buddy was prowling ahead of him, snarling at him.

"Shush, all of you," I ordered, and the puppies quieted their barks into growls. "Put me on the counter," I told the Joker, and he obeyed. "Now, go into the cabinet over the fridge and take the box in the front." The Joker went over and grabbed the box I had indicated.

Buddy, Prince, and Scout tried to jump onto the counter, or to at least touch my feet, but I withdrew them. "Stop that," I told them, and they sat down on the floor, looking unhappy. "I've spoiled you three too. Turn around and go get your snacks."

They turned around, and Buddy moved to stand in front of Prince and Scout, protectively.

The Joker took out three small bones, and he crouched, holding them out. Buddy came forward cautiously, as if he was expecting the Joker to jump on him. He sniffed the Joker's glove and then snatched a bone, retreating quickly. Prince and Scout bounded forward, mouthing the Joker's hand before reaching for their bones. I winced, hoping that the Joker's hand was protected by his glove from the puppies' teeth.

Once the rottweilers had their bones, the Joker put the box away and then held out his arms toward me. I shadowed to him and then to the bedroom.

He embraced me tightly, burying his head into my neck. "I missed you," he whispered.

"Did you get your business done?" I asked, trying hard not to giggle as he kissed my neck.

"If I hadn't, ah, I won't have returned yet," the Joker answered. He pulled away to look at me, his face so close that I could only look into his brown eyes, hiding in the black depths of his fading warpaint. "Gordon's been, ah, keeping you busy?"

"With Red, Bane, Pen, Rid-."

"Did you, ah, come up with all these nicknames?"

I gave him a look, and he giggled, his hand snaking behind my neck. "I've been work busy and training busy. I'm not surprised that your fellow puppies are so intelligent when the youngest is only a month or so old."

"Really?" the Joker asked, his eyes wide in surprise. "Maybe you _do_ have, ah, control over time."

"Not like I have control _over_ the control," I grunted, irritated.

The Joker's scarred lips turned down in a disapproving frown. "No anger, Shadow. I don't _want_ it." I saw the serious gleam in his eyes, and I nodded. The Joker relaxed, a smile replacing the frown on his face. He kissed me softly.

A yelp sounded from right outside the door. The Joker tore away to see that it was Scout who sat in the doorway, baring her teeth at him.

"You're going to have to wait until tomorrow, Scout," I told her, tightening my hold on the Joker. "Mamma's having some time with Daddy." I broke down in giggles, finding what I just said funny. Who would have thought that I would ever say something like that?

Scout barked in protest, but I gave her a look. She sulked away, constantly looking back. The Joker edged us toward the door, and then he kicked it closed before he suddenly picked me up in bridal style. I laughed in surprise at the suddenness, and I hugged his neck.

"Can 'Daddy' _tumble_ Mamma?" the Joker asked, mischievously.

"That was the idea," I told him, and he laughed.

* * *

_**64 Days**_

I heard the Joker clear his voice from the doorway, but I didn't look up. "What do you want, Heath? I'm working."

"Seems like you're _always_ working," he replied, disapprovingly. "Besides, it seems more like, ah, you're _brooding_."

"Maybe I am," I answered, distractedly as I read something on my laptop screen. "Why are you in here?"

"I'm, ah, not allowed in your room?" he asked, innocently.

"Of course you are, but I'm curious about the manner you come into my room." Of course, I didn't know what his manner was when he walked into my room since I was paying attention to my screen and my thoughts.

I had my laptop on my lap, opened to a series of files on Batman, with my iPod playing on one of the loudest volumes. I could just barely hear what the Joker had been saying. I was trying to drown out everything around me, trying to think of what it was about Batman that irritated all the other criminals while the Joker enjoyed having him around. It puzzled me. The obvious was that Batman was screwing up their plans, but there seemed to have a deeper meaning behind some of them.

Like Mr. Freeze, whom we had caught and put in Arkham a few days ago. He had turned to the life of crime to steal certain crystals that would help him pay for his work on trying to come up with a cure for his wife. His wife had some rare disease that had no positive cure at the moment, and he had frozen her to buy him more time to come up with a cure to save her.

He had been a complicated case, but we had managed to give him a place to work so that he could continue his research.

I figured that like Mr. Freeze, there might be some inside story for the other criminals. It made me wonder about a great deal of things. Did anyone know who Batman really was? Did Catwoman know since she obviously felt something for him that wasn't anger? Why did Poison Ivy have something against him? Why did she have a grudge against _the Joker_? That one puzzled me the most.

"Hello there!" I blinked, seeing a hand waving in my face. The Joker giggled, and I glared at him. He had climbed onto the bed, facing me with my laptop between us.

The Joker smirked daringly as he closed my laptop. The gleam in his brown eyes dared me to open the computer, but I didn't, merely setting it aside. He brought his hand toward his ears, mimicking the taking out of earphones. I turned off my iPod and put it aside as well.

"Now that I have your, ah, _full_ attention," the Joker began. He pulled his other hand out from behind his back, and he tossed me whatever it was in his hand. I looked at it, and my eyes widened. "Got you a bag of starbursts."

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open.

The Joker giggled at my expression. "C'mon, you didn't think I'd, ah, _forget_ what one of your favorite candies is, did you? Open them up and I wanna see if you've been practicing."

I yanked the bag open and took a starburst out, looking at it. I remembered our times together, sitting on a special boulder in the woods by a running streaming. It was just him and me, and he always brought starbursts. We made it a contest to see if we would unwrap the starbursts with our tongues. I had failed so many times, even with Heath urging me on.

The worst thing was that I hadn't been practicing since he had disappeared.

Now, with him right in front me, with a different identity and with makeup on, I didn't know if I could even try to get _one_ starburst unwrapped.

"C'mon," the Joker urged, excitedly. "Surely by now, you can get a starburst unwrapped."

I tried to hide my reluctance, but he saw it anyway.

The Joker took one and held it up. "I'll do it, ah, with you, Shadow."

"That's not what I'm worried about," I snapped at him, in desperation.

He rolled his eyes. "You kept this little, ah, _ritual_ of ours special by not doing it since I left. Right, I get it. Now, let's spark up the tradition again, _shall we?_"

I popped my starburst in and got my tongue to work. The Joker gave me a few seconds' head start, and then put his starburst into his mouth. I had the strange thought that since he liked to lick his lips all the time out of habit, his tongue was in good shape. I tried not to laugh about it, but then, the Joker accidentally dropped his starburst.

I cracked up, mine falling out of my mouth as well.

"Got ya," the Joker giggled, putting his back in. It took him a minute, and then he had his unwrapped. He chewed on his while he waited for me to finish one.

"You must be a good kisser," I teased him.

"Do I, ah, _need_ a starburst to prove that I'm a good kisser?"

I laughed and then turned my attention back to my starburst. I tried, but my tongue was simply not made for unwrapping starbursts.

He gave me a disapproving look when I unwrapped the soggy wrapper, popping the candy in my mouth. "C'mon, Shadow, you always _refused_ to give up."

"People change, Heath," I told him. "Look at yourself, if you don't believe me." The Joker actually looked down at himself, and I started laughing.

He sat there, waiting, until I had swallowed the starburst. "Did you, ah, like that?" he asked me.

"Of course I did," I told him, licking my lips for any remains of the taste. He leaped at me suddenly, knocking me over unto my back, and I laughed as he held himself off my chest with his muscular forearms. "And I liked _that_ too."

"I'm, ah, not _finished_ yet," he murmured and then leaned in to kiss me.

I couldn't help the thought of 'Dang, he's a good kisser' from running across my mind.

"Shadow," the Joker began as he pulled away slightly, our lips still close enough for them to brush against one another. "Know that the starbursts lie. You're just so good at kissing that the starbursts can't measure your ability."

I blushed, and he laughed, kissing me again.

* * *

_**67 Days**_

I watched the Joker as he turned on the bathroom faucet, twisting his neck to position his face under the cool stream. Sideways, he opened his mouth, the water running over his tongue as it took off his makeup. The water running off his face had turned a mixture of red, black, and white.

He seemed unaware that I was standing in the doorway, leaning there casually, just watching him. I could have stood there for quite awhile without him noticing if Scout hadn't come over and barked loudly.

The Joker hit his forehead, hard, on the faucet, startled by the sudden bark. "Dog!" he grunted, "I was enjoying that!" He touched his forehead with two fingers. "Great, now I'm bleeding. I appreciate it, Scout!" He took a towel and wiped his face clean of any remaining makeup. He turned to glare at the puppy rottweiler, but he noticed me standing there.

Surprise appeared in his brown eyes. "How long have you, ah, been standing there, Shadow?" he asked.

"Awhile," I answered. I watched him as he touched his bleeding forehead, wincing slightly. "So how was your night?"

"_Un-_eventful." The Joker returned to the sink, replacing his face beneath the running water.

"Looks like you're trying to drown yourself."

"But, I'm _not_." I grinned sheepishly and then clicked my tongue at Scout who sat obediently at my feet. It was amazing how she was only six weeks old, yet she was as obedient and intelligent as an adult rottweiler. "Off to bed, Scout," I told her when she looked up at me. She cocked her head to the side, lifting her ears. "You heard me. Go." She yipped softly and then padded away.

The Joker turned off the faucet, patting his face gently. He hung the towel up and licked water droplets from his scarred lips.

"Refreshed?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, quite," he replied.

I smiled as he came over and hugged me tightly. "Heath, I want to ask you something. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I just figured it was best that you knew that I wondered about this for some time."

The Joker grinned and said, "Ask away, Shadow."

I took a breath and then asked, "What was she like? Your wife?"

His smile faded gradually as he registered the question. I met his eyes and saw growing pain emerging from them. "She…wasn't like you. Quite the opposite, actually. She was all about makeup, dresses, high heels…" He closed his eyes as if the memory pained him. His voice had dropped, falling in between his Joker voice and his husky voice.

"What happened to her?" I asked.

"I don't know. She vanished after that night."

"Jeannie," I whispered, and then it dawned on me. That's why I recognized the name; I had seen it in the newspaper and on the news years ago. "Do you want to know what happened to her?"

The Joker opened his eyes and looked at me, painfully confused.

I took another deep breath and then said, "I read it in the newspaper. Do you know that there's a Fourth of July parade in most cities? She found one and jumped off a bridge over the parade."

The Joker pulled away from me, walking silently toward the sink again. I watched him painfully as he turned on the faucet and put his face under the running water again, like he was trying to washing away his grief. He remained under the water for a few minutes and then pulled up, gasping for air. He had swallowed gulps of water from the faucet already.

His shoulders started shaking as he leaned over the sink, his hair and face dripping. I didn't move, not knowing if he was crying or if he was only shaking. It wasn't until I heard him gasp painfully that I realized that he was trying to fight the urge to cry.

"Jeannie…I don't know what I saw in her. She was pretty, blonde hair, such green eyes. Always proper in dressing, caring if things worked all together. She seemed like such a serious person, but she had always smiled and told me to smile more." The Joker shuddered as he looked up at his dripping reflection.

From the side, it looked like his own reflection was torturing him; he couldn't look at it for very long. "She planned things all the time, and if I didn't go step-by-step with her, she got mad at me. All I wanted was to make her happy. She had a sad childhood; her family didn't want her and she was adopted several times, changing homes every time she ran away." He glanced at me through his wet, stringy hair. "Maybe I thought she was like you, the loneliness, the hidden true self, it was so close." He looked away. "But I was wrong. I thought I could make her life mean something. I _wanted_ to help her, but…after that night…I realized that I had to let her go.

"I disappeared from that town, running to the nearest city. The scar still hurt, still bled, and the pain was close to unbearable. I could hear my own voice in my head, someone saying that it was all right, that I had to let Jeannie go for someone better. It was like someone from above was telling me that I was meant to turn into the Joker.

"It didn't happen overnight. The pain, the loneliness, and then the sudden appearance of the card whose name I took as my own. I didn't know where it came from, but one night, I happened to wake up with it in my hand. I remember it so well…" His voice broke down in Heath's husky voice, and his shaking had gotten more controlled. "And I hadn't woken up in the same apartment that I had fallen asleep in. I didn't know what happened, but now…like a returning memory, I _do_ know."

He straightened and looked at his reflection again, this time glaring at it. He didn't say more, so I decided to take the chance to speak.

"That's when you tasted alcohol, wasn't it?"

"Yes, the bitter taste of it, I still remember it." Heath turned to me, and his hard expression melted into the tormented look from before. "Please, Shadow," the Joker pleaded, "Don't ask me about her again."

"I promise," I whispered.

He turned back to the sink and stuck his head underneath the running water again, and I left him, feeling awful for causing him to act like that. How could one bear the loss of one's love? I knew the pain, except I had lost family. Somehow, I managed to survive. I knew that Heath Ledger would too, and I would be there for him, if he needed my help.

* * *

_**70 Days**_

I entered my apartment, and after shutting the door behind me, I headed into the living room, my destination being my bedroom. As I went, I unbuckled my belt and pulled it out of its straps.

"Why are you, ah, _stripping_ on your way to your bedroom?"

I halted and looked in the direction of the couch where the Joker sat comfortably. His makeup was fading, and he wasn't wearing his signature jacket. When I looked for it, I found it by the door on the jacket stand. I turned my attention back to my beloved puppy to see him cock his head to the side, his expression curious.

"I'm changing into shorts," I told him. "I figure I could just get rid of my belt while I'm walking. It's called multi-tasking."

"You might not, ah, want to do that all the time, Shadow. Besides, the belt is only _part_ of the process. You still need to take off your jeans and then swipe on your shorts." Then, the Joker's eyes glistened, and a smile curled onto his scarred mouth. "Unless you're trying to _impress_ me and plan to, ah, to just take off your jeans and not bother with the shorts."

I threw my belt at him in hopes that it would hit him. He gave me a wide grin as he lifted a hand and caught it. Unfortunately for him though, the buckle hadn't lost its momentum, and it smacked him in the head. "I hope that hurt, you lustful puppy," I told him, turning in the direction of the bedroom again.

"Why are you, ah, changing into shorts?" the Joker asked, curiously.

I heard him get up, and I turned in time to see him skip over to my side. I smiled at him. "Going for a night run," I replied. "I'm taking Scout with me."

The Joker's expression fell, and I smacked his cheek gently before heading into the bedroom. He watched me from the doorway as I slipped off my jeans and changed into my running shorts. I also changed my shirt, keeping my eye on the Joker's face. He licked his lips slowly, his eyes alight.

"You're so, ah, _beautiful_," he told me.

"And I thought you were going to say that I was tasty-looking."

He scowled. "I'm insulted, Shadow! Is _that_ what you think I _look_ at you as?"

I returned the scowl. "I was _teasing_, Heath." I pretended to be angry as I shoved my way past him. "Come, Scout," I called as I headed for the door, "Prince, you can come too, if you want."

From the kitchen, Scout bounded out toward me, and Prince jumped down from the couch to join me.

I stopped near the door, a hand on the handle, and turned to see what the Joker was going to do.

He glared at me as he went to collapse onto the couch. "Fine," he grunted grumpily as he folded his arms across his chest. "Buddy and I will stay here while you run."

Buddy, who was on the floor by the Joker's feet, lifted his head from his paws, looked at the Joker, and then stood up, stretching before padding over to me, Scout, and Prince.

The Joker glared after the oldest pup. "Traitor," he murmured.

I grinned triumphantly as I turned to the door, but I stopped and faced him again. "You're welcome to come too, if you change." The Joker huffed at me, and I just shrugged. "All right, I'll be back." I turned the handle and opened the door.

"Wait, Shadow!" I grinned as I turned to face him, but my smile vanished when I saw that the Joker had vanished. "Give me a minute!" he called from the bathroom and he ran the water to wash off his fading makeup.

* * *

**Joker: Geez, D, can you, ah, write any _longer_?**

**D: I'm tired. Took me more than a week to write this chapter, throwing out random ideas that I couldn't put into the actual story.**

**Joker: So you're saying that these are more like little side-stories.**

**D: *shrugs* If you wanna call them that.**

**NxS: How many pages was this?**

**D: Sixteen on MS Word, and a normal chapter would be about five to eight pages. K, me off to work on chapter 47, cause I have no life.**

**Joker: Wait, D, wasn't there, ah, _something_ you wanted to tell your beloved readers? *winks***

**D: NO! I'm focusing on you and Shadow!**

**Joker: I bet NxS can guess what I'm trying to hint at.**

**D: NxS, you say anything about it, I'll refuse to write the rest of this story.**

**Shadow: *laughing* The pressure is all on you, NxS.**

**NxS: ****I'll just say that it has to do with someting mentioned in an author's note like, 40 chapters ago, hahahaha! Oh, and a **_**certain person **_**says "hi" again. Have fun guessing and don't forget to review. *rushes off***


	47. Chapter 47

**D: People, go back to chapter 34. There is Teresa's outfit that I had completely forgotten to put in there, and my beta reader didn't say _anything_ because she thought I didn't put it in there for a reason. The reason is: because I _forgot_.**

* * *

"_Shadow, hurry up, you've got to meet her," Dean called._

"_Meet who?" I only saw blackness, my dream vision was nothing but voices._

"_I found her, I found who I was searching for!" He sounded excited, and I tried to pinpoint where his voice was but it echoed all around me._

"_Dean, I can't see her."_

"_Follow me, and I'll show you."_

_My dream vision kicked in, and I saw Dean running away from me down the street. "Wait, Dean," I called, racing after him._

"_Hurry, Shadow, hurry! I want you to meet her!" He was running faster than me. My dream legs couldn't move fast, like they were weighed down or like I was struggling in water._

"_Wait for me!" I shouted, struggling to catch up but only falling behind._

"_Hurry, Shadow!" he yelled back._

"Dean wait!"

"All right, Susan, I will. No need to yell."

I opened my eyes and blinked in surprise. It took me a few moments to realize I was laying on a couch in the MCU breakroom. Dean stood over me with an amused expression on his face.

"Dreaming a sweet dream?" he asked.

I glared at him as I sat up. He could be really annoying sometimes. "Thought I'd get a little shut-eye while I waited for you," I said, ignoring the question.

"Dreaming about me or the boss?"

"Just shut up," I told him as I pushed past him to leave the MCU. I had said his name when I told him to wait, but apparently he thought that I was awake when I told him to wait. Dean's Jeep waited outside, and I climbed into the passenger's seat, wishing I hadn't let the Joker borrow my Sentra for the night.

Dean got behind the wheel, but he didn't turn it on. "Shadow," he said, and then chewed on his lip as I gave him a warning glare. "We need to talk."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" I asked, rubbing my forehead. "I'm tired."

"You seem to pay attention more when you're tired." I looked at him, seeing that he was serious about wanting the talk now.

"Go on then," I told him, "What do you want?"

"Your full attention, for one thing."

"I'm listening."

"You're aware that I care about you, as a friend." I nodded, not understanding where he was going. "Your relationship with the boss…" I sighed impatiently. "Hey, I don't want any of that," Dean snapped.

"How many times have I _told_ you to stop acting like Mister J?" I demanded.

"I'm _trying_ to get a point across."

"Then get it across!" I snapped.

"I don't like it."

"I _know_ you don't like it," I told him, angrily. "You've made that point many times on our 'dates'," I added using air quotations.

Now Dean chewed on his lip, narrowing his eyes and looking out the front window. I had made him mad.

He turned the keys in the ignition.

"What? You're not going to finish?" He made my anger spark by not continuing.

"No," he said, simply. He pulled out of parking and headed down the road. I looked out the side window, watching the buildings fly past. It didn't occur to me that there was a chance that Dean was driving faster than the speed limit. "I'm sorry," Dean said, quietly.

"It's fine," I replied, forcing my anger aside. He had taken a few seconds to let his go so I owed him the same.

"I really wanted to talk about…my purpose here in Gotham."

I looked over at him. "You mean, the person you're looking for? The one you wronged?"

"Yeah…" He sounded reluctant to speak, but he took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm looking for my best friend, who I had to deceive to get away from the life I lived. I wanted to find him and make things right. It turns out that he had left his wife because of his…problems. I don't know what his problems were, but when we had been friends, I know he was fine, no conflicts in his life."

"This…friend, what's his name?" I asked.

Dean opened his mouth and then shut it. After a moment, he said, "I don't know why I told you. It's a burden for me alone."

"Maybe I can-."

"No!" His tone was sharp, and I winced. "Sorry, I mean, no thank you. I appreciate it, but no thanks. This is something I have to do alone."

He fell silent for a few moments, and then I asked, "Do you trust me, Dean?"

"Yes, I do."

"Why?"

"Because…" he began, thinking, "If it weren't for our friendship, and your relationship with the boss, I'd be dead right now, slit throat in an alleyway or blown to smithereens in an abandoned shed."

I wiggled my nose in disgust. "You're as graphic as _he_ is."

"I figure he has had plenty of time to plan many ways of killing me," Dean chuckled, humorlessly.

"You know he doesn't like the fact that you're my claimed boyfriend."

"I wouldn't like it either if I were in his place. There's no use in me trying to annoy him since the _sight_ of me irritates the heck outta him."

I shook my head, letting a smile slip on my face as Dean drove up to my apartment building. My blue Sentra sat in its parking lot so I knew the Joker was home. Of course, there was Scout who sat on the front steps, waiting for me.

"Blue collar, that must be Scout," Dean said, "How did she get out?"

"She's quite a barrier-breaker," I commented. "She _always_ gets out. Thanks for the ride, Dean."

"Don't worry about it," he responded, casually.

Scout barked once as a warning bark. It was like she knew that I was the Joker's girl. I grinned at Dean and then climbed out as Scout barked again.

"I'm coming, Scout," I told her as she stood up and wagged her tail. I glanced up at one of my apartment windows and saw the curtain being drawn over the glass. I rolled my eyes as I approached my Sentra, walking around it and quickly checking to see if the Joker did any damage before I went to Scout, who spun in a circle, barking excitedly at me.

"Come, Scout, in," I told her, opening the door. She bounded in and headed for the stairs, stepping onto the first one and turning to bark at me. I grinned and then turned to wave to Dean as he pulled away.

Scout raced up onto the landing and waited for me. I halted halfway up, and when she saw that, she barked at me. "What?" I demanded, softly. "Did Daddy not feed you tonight or something?"

Scout barked again and then trotted up the rest of the way. I continued at my normal pace, wincing as my headache returned. Scout ran back, barked at me, and than ran ahead several times, obviously telling me that I was moving too slow for her. I didn't unlock my door fast enough for her either; she paced impatiently, letting out quiet barks.

As soon as I opened the door, she shot in and started barking her head off, spinning in circles. "Scout, quiet," I snapped, irritated. Her barking wasn't helping my growing headache. I didn't hear the Joker's usual greeting so I closed the door and headed toward where I saw the light of my MacBook screen.

The Joker sat directly in front of my MacBook, leaned back into the couch with his arms crossed. The backlight on my laptop reflected off his fading white makeup, making his face shine like an angel's…or a devil's.

Buddy lifted his head from his paws and began growling at me, baring his teeth. The Joker tapped him with a foot, silencing him instantly.

I stood there, waiting for the Joker to speak his mind. From his expression and the reactions of the rottweilers, it was obvious that he was irritated, and I assumed the worst, that it was aimed at me.

He didn't speak up or try to begin the conversation; he just sat there, his burning eyes threatening to burn a hole through the laptop screen.

I finally rolled my eyes, heaved a loud exasperated sigh, and entered the kitchen in search for Tylenol. It had become a routine; if I came home from work after nine, I came home with terrible headaches. It didn't matter if I shadowed or not; I still got them.

I opened the cabinet and felt for the bottle of Tylenol. My hand felt nothing.

"Looking, ah, for _this_?" I turned around to see the Joker standing in the doorway, shaking the Tylenol bottle, rattling it loudly.

"Yeah, I am," I snapped. My irritation got worse as I realized that the Joker wasn't going to give me the Tylenol.

"You're becoming quite, ah, _dependent_ of this," the Joker continued, his voice even. "I don't want my girl accidentally _overdosing_ on over-the-counter Tylenol."

"It's only for my headache," I argued.

"Does it help?"

"Yes."

"I meant, ah, does it keep it from coming back?"

I frowned. "No…"

"Then try not _taking_ it and see the results." The Joker slipped the bottle into his pocket.

I glared at him. "So what am I supposed to do? Wait until the pain goes away?" I demanded, angrily.

"Drink lots of fluids and…stop listening to your iPod so loud," he growled. I pouted. "Now, onto a, ah, a more _serious_ matter…"

I rolled my eyes as I turned to get a glass of water.

"I don't like you staying, ah, with the Dean boy."

"We were talking," I told him, sipping my drink.

"You had, ah, _plenty_ of time to talk on the drive home! You didn't need more time!" the Joker yelled.

"We were in the middle of a conversation, Heath."

"Shadow." The way he tilted his head to the side, giving me a look, and the low tone of his voice warned me that I was walking on the edge with him.

I decided to shove _him_ off the edge.

"I don't understand why you're jealous. He's just my _boyfriend_."

The Joker snapped, his neutral expression transforming into demonic anger. He stood in front of me with his open switchblade, moving so fast that I didn't have time to react. My glass dropped to the floor, cracking and spilling water on the ground, but at that moment, I didn't care.

The Joker's free hand held my chin while his switchblade hovered close to my mouth. "I _don't_…want you _near_ him, Shadow."

"I can't help the fact that he offered to drive me home," I snapped. "_Someone_ had my car."

"You could've said no."

"Angry, aren't we?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't _test_ me, _Sara_," he warned, pressing the side of his blade against my cheek.

"Why are you so mad? It can't be because of my staying a few seconds longer with Dean. Something else is bothering you."

"Do you, ah, wanna bet?" the Joker dared, narrowing his eyes.

I shrugged. "Don't have any money on me at the moment. C'mon, what's wrong?" Uncertainty flashed in his brown eyes, and I knew I had control over the situation. His attempt with his switchblade had failed to even _amuse_ me. It was getting _old_ on me.

The Joker roughly released me and pulled something out of his pocket. "Dean's been, ah, visiting my men while I'm here with you. I happened to find _this_ last time I went to their apartment."

I took it and looked at it. It was a little note, written to me in Dean's handwriting. My eyes widened as I read it: _'I know that you are too afraid to tell me that you love me because of the Joker. Don't be afraid. Meet me in the alley behind the casino at midnight on the fifteenth and we'll discuss our getaway. I love you. – Dean'_

"Don't tell me that, ah, this isn't Dean's writing."

"It is," I whispered, hardly able to speak. Why would Dean write such a note? I couldn't see how he would ever do something like this. The note didn't sound like him at all. "But I doubt it's him." The Joker scowled and looked like he was going to speak, but I stopped him with a finger on his lips. "Let me explain, Heath," I said, calmly. "I already know that he likes me, but he has agreed to stay on the friend term. Besides, he isn't _this_ obvious."

The Joker jerked his head to get away from my finger and than snatched the note out of my hand. His eyes met mine, daring me to try to take the note back, and I could see the distrust clearly.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked, still calm. I knew from experience that if we were both mad, we didn't get anywhere in an argument. "Should I call him?"

"No," the Joker replied, quickly, "I want you to, ah, to _stay here_."

"Are you serious?

"I am…on this situation." He turned and headed out of the kitchen, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket.

"Who are you calling?" I demanded, following him.

"Someone to make sure, ah, you don't leave."

"I can always shadow out. Not even Teresa and Jon could stop me from that."

The Joker only looked at me and then spoke into the phone. "Shadow's apartment, make sure she _stays_ there." He snapped it closed, and the snap seemed to trigger my anger.

"Who's staying with me?" I yelled as he headed for the door.

"Someone I trust," he answered.

"And you don't trust me?" He hesitated at the door. "What have I _done_ to lose your trust? I can understand if I had decided to go home with Dean, but you have to put the fact that I came _here_ into the equation before you automatically assume that I'm _disloyal_ to you."

The Joker turned slightly and looked at me. For a moment, I thought he was going to reconsider, but instead, his dark eyes only hardened. "_Stay_," he ordered and then disappeared out the door, shutting it behind him.

I let out a frustrated growl and went to the couch, ignoring the rottweilers and grabbing a pillow to shove in my face to scream into. Once I relieved myself of the urge to scream, I flipped open my cell phone, dialing Teresa's number as I stood by the window, moving the curtain a bit so I could see who the Joker had assigned to keep me here.

A red truck was parked behind my Sentra, which made me confused and curious. Who owned a truck among the Joker's henchmen?

Someone picked up on the other end of the phone. _"Hello?"_

"Crane, where's Teresa?" I asked.

"_Ah, it's you, Shadow…she went with the Joker," _he said, casually.

"What?"

"_He called her earlier."_

"Why, do you know?"

"_She told me that he said it was important," _he replied simply.

I was about to swear when I noticed that someone was climbing out of the truck, and my eyes widened in recognition. "Jon, the guy who attacked me at the beach is here," I whispered, my tone revealing my fear.

"_The one who tried to run you over?" _he asked, sounding less calm than before.

"The same…"

"_I'm coming."_ He hung up.

I couldn't believe it. Why was that guy back? What did he want with me? Was _he_ the one the Joker sent to protect me? So the Joker knew! Was this the end of me?

I split my conscience, thinking to shadow to safety, but then a certain ringing snapped my shadow back. Electricity pulsed through my head, and I gasped, grasping my forehead.

Through blurry eyes, I saw that the guy leaned against his truck, holding his instrument in his hand while he pretended to play on his cell phone.

I heard whimpering behind me and recognized it as the rottweilers'. I turned and started toward them. They lay on the ground, clawing at the ground as if they were in pain. I reached them and collapsed to the floor, sitting against the couch.

"Come," I whispered, wincing. Painfully, Buddy, Scout, and Prince crawled toward me on their bellies, like they were trying to fight a barrier that was slowing them down. I reached toward them, urging them with a twitch of my fingers.

Then, the agony hit me.

* * *

**NxS: So intense.**

**D: You can say **_**that**_** again.**

**Shadow: What is up with the Joker? I don't understand why he's overreacting.**

**Joker: I'm, ah, **_**not**_** overreacting.**

**Shadow: Then explain your reaction.**

**Joker: *shrugs* Ask D. She knows more about it than I do.**

**NxS: In the mean time, don't forget to review!**


	48. Chapter 48

**D: I apologize for the long delay and it would've been a longer delay had I not decided to go ahead and bring up this chapter. I went to Utah for a week, NxS went to Maine for a few days...and school's starting for me in a few days! And that's not even the real reason behind the long delay. My beta reader's been really lame lately, and I'm starting to get irritated with her in her failing to keep a promise to edit this chapter by a certain date and that _date_ was two or three days ago and she hasn't answered me since so...sorry, this chapter isn't edited by my beta reader, but I'm gonna make her edit it one way or another.**

**Joker: And she, ah, _means_ it, NxS!**

**NxS: I'm sorry. If I apologize for a million years will you be able to forgive me?**

**D: I suppose...  
**

* * *

"_Heath, this is, ah, your new home," the Joker whispered._

_Heath, wearing a torn purple suit, jerked away, finding himself in his rundown car, behind the steering wheel, in a parking lot. His eyes were glazed as he glanced over at the Joker who stepped out of the passenger's seat, motioning him to do the same. Heath climbed out and went around to the hood, standing a few feet ahead of the Joker who stood on the car hood._

"_A nesting ground of mobsters and corrupt cops, Heath," the Joker said, giggling softly. "Doesn't it sound like home?"_

"_No…" Heath answered._

_The Joker, who had been grinning out at the city, frowned and jumped from the car, skipping forward to stand directly in front of Heath. "Now listen to, ah, to me, Heath boy," he said, flicking open his switchblade. "We've been through this many times. Shadow's watching you, _waiting_ for you to appear."_

"_I can't do it."_

_The Joker reached up and grabbed Heath's head violently, placing the switchblade against his left scar. "C'mon, Heath, you know, ah, what you're supposed to do."_

_Tears came to Heath's eyes. "I can't…"_

_The Joker slipped the knife in and out of Heath's mouth, slicing his cheek. Heath cried out in agony, and the Joker dropped him. Heath whimpered, a bloodied hand covering his left scar._

_The Joker lifted up his switchblade and in the moonlight, it was clear of blood. He licked his lips and then crouched in front of Heath, petting his face with the back of his hand. "Sh-sh-sh, calm down, Heath. It's only, ah, your imagination."_

_Heath choked on his sobs, trying to hide them, but the Joker continued to frown, straightening and walking away from him. I watched the forlorn shape on the ground and then looked up to see the Joker open his arms wide, like he was going to embrace the city._

"_This is a, ah, a good place to get a start and settle down to wait for Shadow," the Joker said loudly so that Heath could hear him. He dropped his arms and turned slowly, giving Heath a menacing look. "Here, you'll make your stand, _our_ stand and wait for Shadow. You'll take this city for her."_

"_And him…" Heath whispered._

"_No," the Joker snapped, apparently knowing who Heath was thinking of. "_He_'s dead. It's all for Shadow!"_

_Heath's will broke. "For Shadow…"_

"Shadow…Shadow, c'mon." Someone gently smacked my cheek, and I opened my eyes, blinking. It took a moment for my vision to clear, and then, I could see who it was.

"Jon, why are you here?" I asked, confused.

"You called me, remember?" he replied, his mouth twitching with amusement. "Are your central and peripheral nervous systems working?"

I stared, confused. "What?"

"Conscious, aware," Crane explained.

"As far as I know, yeah."

Crane helped me to sit, holding me steady. "Remember anything?"

"The guy…red truck…electric instrument."

"You mean this?" Crane held up the thing. I cringed and tried to pull away from him. "It's all right. It's not activated," he reassured me.

"What is it?" I asked, keeping my wary gaze on it.

"I don't know, but it seems to have a mind-control sort of thing." Crane's eyes met mine. "I think this instrument is related to your eyes changing colors though."

"What makes you think that?"

"For one thing, your eyes are purple." I blinked hard, and he shook his head. "Blinking isn't going to make it stop."

I shrugged and leaned against the couch. A wet nose touched my hand, and I looked to see Scout licking my fingers, like she was trying to comfort me. I scratched her ears.

"Did you attack him or something?" I asked Crane who had Buddy pressed against him, whimpering for attention. I looked around for Prince and found him trying to bury under my leg.

"I just snuck up behind him and give him some fear gas."

"Really?" Remembering what it was like with the fear gas, I shuddered. "What's his worst fear?"

"You've been asking a lot of questions. My turn." I narrowed my eyes, irritated, but I didn't argue. "Why did the Joker need Teresa?"

"He was mad at Dean, and I don't know why he would need Teresa unless he plans to turn invisible and kill Dean." My eyes widened, and I glanced at my watch. Five minutes to midnight. "I have to go."

"Wait a moment, Shadow, where are you going?" Crane demanded, stopping me with a hand.

"I have to talk to Dean." He frowned slightly, waiting for an answer. I shook my head. "I can't explain now. I have less than five minutes to talk to him."

"Why?"

"Damnit, Crane, can't you realize that this is a life-and-death situation for Dean. Just release me. I _have_ to go!" He lifted his hand away from me, and I shadowed.

Of course, I still had the aftereffects of the strange instrument pulsing through my mind so I missed my location by several streets. I crashed to the ground, knocking into a trash can and tipping it over, but I climbed to my feet and headed out of the alleyway, a hand clenching my head.

I staggered out and stood there, looking for a street sign. Seeing the sign, I headed down the road, searching the street constantly. I didn't want another visit from that guy and neither did I want the Joker to see me out on the streets. He was already mad at me; I didn't need to worsen his hot temper.

I tried shadowing again because of my limited time, moving to a place just around the corner from the casino. I approached it cautiously, not knowing where the Joker was. If he was here, and invisible with the help of Teresa, it was going to be hard to keep myself hidden.

I remembered what Teresa had said about how my ability might possibly include invisibility in the shadows. Now seemed the best – and the worst – time to test my ability.

I entered the casino and then stepped behind the door as someone passed me to leave. If only I had Teresa to tell me if she actually saw me… I shook my head. Focus, girl. I looked around to see if I could find anyone, the Joker, Teresa, or Dean.

And go figure, the first one I spot is the Joker. He stood in the shadows with Teresa, speaking softly to her and motioning with his hands. It seemed like they were arguing, the Joker being the angry one, just like he had been in the argument with me. Teresa kept putting her finger to her lips to shush him, and he didn't seem happy about it.

I edged around the room, keeping to the shadows as best as I could, but also ducking behind people, chairs, and tables to keep from the Joker's gaze, which constantly swept the casino. I was fortunate tonight; the casino was crowded, even if there had the downside of being too crowded. As I moved, I kept an eye out for Dean, searching for his head among all the people.

I came close to where the Joker and Teresa were standing, but I remained several feet away, hoping the Joker couldn't use his doglike senses to find me. Of course, Teresa turned her head slowly in my direction, and I ducked behind a poker player, pretending to tie my shoelaces in case the player happened to notice me. In my head, I swore at myself. How could I have forgotten that one of Teresa's abilities was supernatural senses?

At least it had been her and not the Joker. I had less of a chance of staying hidden from the Joker if it had been _him_ who looked in my direction; needless to say that I didn't have a chance at all with him.

I slowly stood up, peeking over the poker player to look at Teresa. Her eyes met mine, and she shook her head. I ducked down again, and realized that she had to be helping me. I peeked around the player to see Teresa's hand motioning downward, and then she jabbed her finger down at the ground. It meant _stay_ for the rottweilers, and it was a good enough sign that told me to stay.

I didn't want to stay though so I moved into the shadows again, inches away from the spot I had ducked down. I took a moment to check my breathing, finding it rapid, and I focused on it, calming myself down.

Then, Teresa appeared, walking casually toward the table I had hidden behind. She seemed to be scanning the people, like she was looking for someone…but she _knew_ where I was…or the general area.

"Shadow," she whispered, standing where I had ducked down. She knew I had moved.

"I'm right here," I whispered back. She moved toward me, positioning herself on the wall, and I had to shift over so that she didn't step on me. "Can you not _see_ me?"

"You're invisible, unless someone really _looked_ at you," Teresa whispered, cranking her neck and pretending to search for Dean, if that was whom she was looking for.

I stood up beside her and glanced at my watch. "Two minutes…what's the Joker plan to do?" I asked her, quietly.

"I don't know," Teresa replied. "I think he's after Dean though."

"I figured _that_ out already. He's mad at me, suspecting that I'm falling for Dean."

Teresa looked directly at me, her eyes wide in disbelief. "You're kidding!"

"Shh," I hushed her, "Don't want him to look over here." I glanced around her to see the Joker turn his head, his eyes narrowing in suspicion at Teresa. I hid beside her. "I _swear_, it's like he has some shadow radar in his head that lets him know when I'm around and where I am."

"Maybe you should stop kissing him. You both seem to be rubbing off one another." I glared at her, seeing the side of her mouth twitch in amusement.

"You're not funny," I told her. "You better move before he comes over here."

"All right." She glanced at the Joker, shook her head, and then moved to step around me, but ended up stepping on my foot. "Sorry," she murmured.

A thought popped into my head, and I grabbed her arm, causing her to stop suddenly. I looked over at the Joker and saw him stiffen; and he wasn't watching Teresa. I followed his gaze quickly and saw Dean making his way through the people, carrying a bottle in his hand.

"Go back to the Joker and get the note," I hissed in Teresa's ear.

"What note?" she asked, confused. I glanced at the Joker and saw that his hand clenched the note, and he shoved it in his pocket.

"Left pocket of the Joker's jacket," I told her. "Don't read it. Just get it and give it to me. Try not to get caught." I kept my eyes on the Joker. "He's distracted because he's seen Dean."

"Where?" I pointed and then realized that she wouldn't be able to see my arm in the shadows. Instead, I moved behind her and turned her head. "Oh, there he is."

"Go, Teresa, I haven't got much time. I have to get Dean outta here before the Joker catches him. I think the Joker's going to try and kill him tonight."

Teresa swore and then pushed past me – again, because she couldn't see me – to get to the Joker. She tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention as her hand slipped into his left pocket. I watched as she got the note while pointing out Dean to the Joker. He didn't seem happy, distracted by his anger; he didn't even notice Teresa stealing from him.

I made my way carefully toward them, hoping the Joker's anger would distract him from sensing me.

"…Invisible, Raven," the Joker ordered with a low growl. "You just follow. Don't speak. And when I let go, _you_ stay invisible. Got that?"

Teresa nodded. The Joker grabbed her hand, and they vanished from sight.

I saw the note appear, falling to the ground, and I waited a few moments before going to pick it up. I stored it in my pocket and then looked for Dean. I managed to catch him making his way toward the backroom, probably to go out the back door.

I didn't know where the Joker and Teresa were, and I feared to shadow after Dean. I couldn't let him know about my ability, but it seemed that if I was to save him, I might have to make that sacrifice.

Glancing at my watch, I saw that I had less than a minute. It was either now or Dean was dead.

I shadowed into the backroom, glad that the Joker had taken me there before – even if he did that to beat me. Dean had closed the door behind him, taking a swig from his bottle. I shadowed to the door and locked it. As he spun around, having heard the lock, I jumped him, grabbing him by the waist and shadowing out into the alley behind the casino.

I released him and shadowed to his front, gripping him by his jacket and slamming him against the brick wall. As I did so, I glanced at my watch. Midnight, behind the casino…perfect timing.

Dean's eyes were wide with surprise as he clenched his teeth in pain. I felt regret for hurting him, but I didn't let my guilt make me loosen my grip and make an appearance on my face.

"Shadow?" he said, shocked.

"Hi, Dean," I greeted him, pleasantly.

"How'd you do that?"

"Do what?"

"I was in the backroom and now out here."

"You've had too much to drink."

"It's only Dr. Pepper." I grabbed the bottle from him and sniffed it before taking a small sip. He was right; it was only Dr. Pepper in a beer bottle. "How'd you do it?" he asked again. "And how did you-?"

"Let your imagination come up with an explanation and _do not_ say it outloud to anyone," I snapped. "Answer me a few questions, and you better answer them truthfully." I spoke in a serious tone, and he nodded, showing that he understood. "Did you write this note?" I put the Dr. Pepper bottle down and reached into my pocket, yanking out the crumbled note. After I had flattened it to the best of my ability with one hand, I held it up in his face so that he could read it.

Dean squinted at it and then shook his head. "It's my handwriting, but I didn't write it." He had spoken the truth.

I released him and retreated a few steps, finding that I was breathing heavily.

Dean stared at me, watching me cautiously. "Are you okay, Shadow?" he asked.

I shook my head and retreated more, turning so that my side faced him. "Dean," I said quietly, "You trusted me with the secret of your purpose in Gotham, and in return, I trust you to keep this to yourself, unless I tell you otherwise." I took a deep breath and glanced at the note still in my hand. "There's someone who wants me dead, and he's bringing you into the picture."

* * *

**Shadow: I hope Mister J's not **_**too**_** mad with me.**

**D: Currently, he's mad at Dean.**

**Shadow: But he's still mad at **_**me**_**, even if not directly.**

**D: *shrugs* I actually enjoyed writing this chapter, even though it took me a few minutes of the "I don't want to write it" in the beginning. Once I got to the part where Shadow shadows out of the apartment, I felt like I was in action movie. I'm thinking I need more chapters like this one, the suspense, the tension…the action. Makes me jittery with the feeling of sneaking around the house at night.**

**Joker: *eyeroll* Why didn't, ah, I see Shadow?**

**NxS: ****Because she was invisible, silly puppy.**

**Joker: I don't think it's fair. *pouts***

**D: Deal with it, puppy.**

**NxS: ****Don't forget to review, and again, I'm beyond sorry for the delay!**


	49. Chapter 49

**D: Decided to put this up before I left for school. YAY, first day of school, and it's my _last_ first day too! I'm a wicked cool SENIOR!!!**

**Joker: Yeah, you _wish_.**

**D: I'm taking my friend wanderer's - and beta's - place!**

**NxS: Say 'hi' to Mr. L for me.**

**D: Haha, I'll ask him if he watched _Sweeney Todd_ over the summer. ;)**

**NxS: Haha, do that for me. Anywho, on with the story.  
**

* * *

"Someone wants you…_dead_?"

"That's what I said."

Dean ran a hand through his dark hair. "Who would have a grudge against you?" he asked.

"I've been trying to figure that out," I told him. "All that I have fore clues is that it's someone close to the Joker."

"No one can forge my handwriting though," Dean said. "I haven't written anything down since I came to Gotham."

"You signed the bill at the restaurant," I reminded him, "And don't think it's Teresa," I added as an afterthought and a warning.

"I know, but the bill makes everyone in that restaurant suspicious."

"What about your friend?"

"My who?" Dean said, and then his eyes widened. "I mean, ah…oh crud."

I grinned. "Caught you in a lie, Dean. The hostess at the restaurant isn't your friend. You don't know her at all."

Dean licked his lips nervously and then shrugged. "All right, you got me. I didn't want you paying for the meal."

"I could tell." I rubbed my forehead, trying to ease the headache. "Dean, do you have _any_ leads on your best friend?"

"No," he answered.

"Would you mind helping me with this?"

"Why aren't you asking the Joker?"

I spun on him, crumbling up the note in my hand. "_Because_ he's not in control at the moment. He found _this_…" – I lifted up the note – "In his men's apartment."

"That _really_ narrows it down, doesn't it?" Dean said, casually.

I threw the crumbled note at his head in frustration. "Stop saying the obvious and _don't_ lick your lips!"

"What?" Dean said, obviously not aware that his tongue had slid out to wet his mouth. I had stopped him halfway.

I rolled my eyes. "I hate you…" I muttered under my breath.

"What?" he repeated.

"Just babbling to myself." I started rubbing my forehead again, wishing I could have taken some Tylenol. "Dean, do you have any Tylenol?" Who cares what the Joker thought? I was in pain!

"At my apartment."

"Is it close?"

"What's your definition of 'close'?"

I glared at him. "Five to seven minutes."

"It's eight minutes, close enough."

"All right, come here."

"I have my Jeep around the corner," he said, confused by what I had said.

"I know, but this is faster and I can't keep it a secret forever. _Come here_." Dean picked up the note and his Dr. Pepper before he approached me. "Take your time," I snapped, irritated, "While I stand here with an extremely painful headache!"

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Imagine your apartment in your head, Dean, and close your eyes. _Don't_ question why," I snapped as he opened his mouth. "Just _do_ it." He obeyed, and I grabbed his wrists, shadowing from the alley.

A wave of dizziness came over me, and black spot appeared in my vision. I held onto Dean, as my legs gave out underneath me. I ended up hanging from his neck and placing my head against his chest, hoping the world would stop spinning so quickly.

"Hey, Shadow-."

"Tylenol and water," I gasped as my head throbbed painfully. I felt so light-headed. "Dean, chair…" I felt his arms wrap around me in a secure hold, and he led me lowly, placing me gently on a couch.

"Put your head between your knees," Dean ordered. I obeyed, feeling nauseous with the world spinning. I concentrated on my breathing while I waited for Dean to return. "How many do you usually take?" he asked.

"Four."

"Four? Are you crazy? How often do you _take_ Tylenol?"

"More often than I would like."

"How _long_, Shadow?" he demanded. He sounded angry, but I couldn't tell.

"Close to three months."

Dean pressed the glass of water in my hands.

"No Tylenol?" I asked, jerking my head up and then groaning as the world flipped upside down.

"You're suffering minor symptoms of an overdose, Shadow." I was about to protest, but only a moan of pain slipped from my lips. "Drink, Shadow." I sipped at it and then held my head with a hand. "How is it?"

"It hurts…" I inhaled sharply and met his eyes. "The Joker's angry; I believe he was planning on killing you tonight."

"I figured that since he had read the note." Dean knelt before me, taking the glass from my shaking hand. "Whoever wrote the note knows that I tend to go out into the back around midnight for fresh air."

"Maybe you shouldn't stick with a certain routine, Dean," I said, wincing.

Dean shifted and then put his hands on my face. The cool touch helped my dizziness fade away. My eyes met his brown ones, and that was all I could see. I felt exhausted and sick. "Focus on me, not the pain," Dean instructed. "Let's talk about who wants to kill you."

"This is going to be a pleasant conversation," I said, sarcastically.

"Is there anyone that you know who has a grudge against you? Think of anyone in this city, not just the Joker's henchmen."

"The Riddler," I answered, "Possibly Catwoman."

"The ones you captured once already, basically."

I shrugged. Then, my cell phone rang, and I winced; I had it at top volume for some reason. I glanced at the number and saw it was the Joker's new phone – he changed phones every month at least once. "_What_ do you _want_?" I demanded, rubbing my forehead.

"_Where are you?"_ he asked, sounding just as irritated as I was.

"At my apartment," I answered through clenched teeth.

"_With whom?"_

"Buddy, Prince, Scout, Jon-."

"_I didn't call him to go by your place."_

"Did you call the guy with the red truck?"

"_Red truck?"_ He sounded confused. _"No one owns a, ah, a red truck."_

I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "Who did you call to send to my place?"

"_He hasn't, ah,_ arrived_ yet?"_

I tried to send my shadow over to my apartment, but my headache wouldn't let me go far. "No," I said, hoping it wasn't a lie.

"_Why is, ah, Scarecrow over there?"_

"I called him when I saw that the guy with the red truck came. He's the guy who tried to kill me twice already. Jon managed to get the instrument."

The Joker's breathing became labored. He didn't say anything for a few moments – painful moments for me with my head pounding – and the next thing I heard was the annoying dial-tone, which told me that the Joker had hung up.

"What's up?" Dean asked.

"I have to get back to my apartment, Dean. The Joker's going back, and I have a friend there who can help me if I need it."

"All right, just no Tylenol."

"Do you need-?"

"I can walk, Shadow. I don't need teleportation."

I glared at him but didn't correct him.

"But drink all of this first." He handed back the glass of water. I wanted to protest, but I drained it, knowing I needed to get to my apartment as soon as possible.

"Thanks, Dean," I whispered as I handed back the empty glass. He grinned, and I shadowed down the block.

Again, I checked the street, and I made several shadowing spots. My headache wouldn't let me concentrate long enough to go straight to my apartment.

I took a brief rest halfway there, feeling the light-headedness getting worse. Black dots appeared in my vision, but I continued to shadow toward my apartment. With each shadow, breath became harder to come by. My breathing grew shallow, but I kept going.

The moment I reached the stairs to my apartment building, I felt so nauseous, and the black dots had nearly taken my whole eyesight.

"Shadow!" an angry voice called. I turned on the stairs and then lost my vision, lost all feeling. The only sense I had was my hearing. I heard something crash into the metal banister and then collapse on the pavement, having fallen down the stairs.

"Shadow!" I heard footsteps.

"Mister J, go get Jon," Teresa ordered.

"I'm not _leaving_ her."

"And to think you were so mad at her earlier."

"That's not the point!"

"Dean…" It sounded like my voice, but it came from the distance so I couldn't really tell. "Call Dean…get him here."

"No the best idea, Shadow," Teresa argued.

Then, my hearing slipped out of my grasp, and I lost all sense.

* * *

"Hey, Shadow, wake up." I instantly recognized it as Dean's voice, and I could feel him patting my cheek gently. "C'mon Shadow."

My body was taking its time waking up so I gradually became aware that I was lying on hard ground and that I ached. Something cold and wet – possibly a washcloth – lay on my forehead. My head throbbed, but it had eased off into a durable ache.

"Shadow," Dean said.

"Ever heard of _not_ hurrying a recovering person?" I asked, dully.

"I would, but I have the pressure of the boss's gun pointed at the back of my head."

"Lay off, Mister J," I said.

The Joker grunted in response, and I heard Dean inhale sharply in pain.

I forced my eyes open to see Dean kneeling beside me. Hovering over him was the menacing Joker who indeed had a gun pressed into Dean's neck. Kneeling on my other side was Teresa who broke from her quiet conversation with Crane when I had spoken.

"What was that?" Teresa asked, her eyes examining my face, full of concern.

"I _told_ you it was an overdose of Tylenol," Dean said and then whimpered as the Joker jerked his weapon.

"It was an overdose," Crane said, holding up a small instrument, "But it wasn't of Tylenol." I turned my head and saw a bandage on my arm. There was a wire sticking out, connected to Crane's instrument. I looked away quickly, my head hitting Dean's knee, making me wince.

The Joker saw my wince and took it the wrong way. He picked Dean up roughly by his jacket , and he shoved his away from me. "Go home, boy," he snarled as Dean stumbled.

Dean caught himself, straightening his jacket as he approached the Joker.

The Joker got on his guard, seeing the speed of Dean's approach as a threat. He held up the gun, pointing it at Dean's chest. Dean halted, an inch away from the gun.

"Joker, don't," I protested, trying to sit up, but Teresa and Crane held me down. They didn't speak but merely watched the scene unfold, sad eyes watching.

Dean glared at the Joker, his eyes meeting the Joker's. He lifted his hands slowly, directly out to the sides. "Shoot me if you have the guts," he dared.

"Dean," I protested.

"I'm warning you, boy," the Joker growled, "Go home."

"You're not my boss," Dean growled back.

"I don't _have_ to be your boss to kill you."

Dean turned his head slightly and played with his mouth. The Joker's hand shook with anger, and his finger touched the trigger. He started to squeeze, and my eyes widened in horror, as it dawned on me that he was going to do it. Heath was going to kill Dean!

I jerked a leg free from Crane and kicked the Joker just as he pulled the trigger. The gun went off as the Joker stumbled, falling onto his back. I swung my free leg and trapped the Joker with it.

"Go home, Dean," I ordered, wincing as my head throbbed. "Go home and don't come back here."

Dean hesitated, his eyes wide, focused on the Joker who was fighting Crane for the gun. Crane grabbed the weapon and moved away before the Joker could catch him.

"Dean, go," I told him, sharply. He ignored me, his eyes focused only on the Joker.

The Joker roughly pushed my leg away, and he got to his feet. He looked at Dean, and I could've sworn that the rage in his eyes could kill Dean.

Dean opened his mouth like he wanted to speak, his eyes growing wider, but then, I yelled, "Dean, I _ordered_ you to go!"

"Sorry, Shadow," he apologized, softly. He took several steps backward, his eyes glued to the Joker's. Then, with an enormous effort, he looked away and walked to his Jeep, climbing in. The Joker's intense gaze followed the Jeep as it drove away.

"Shadow, we need to take you to the hospital," Teresa said.

"What?" I tore my gaze from the Joker and looked at my friend. "Why?"

"You overdosed on a painkiller called Percocet that had a bit of a deadly poison. Poison Ivy's injection might have saved you from the poison, but you have the symptoms of a drug overdose. You need medical care," she replied calmly and smoothed some of my hair off of my forehead.

I heard the siren of an ambulance and police cars. "Stay with me," I whispered, wincing in pain as my headache awoke again.

"I will," Teresa promised.

"C'mon, Joker, we can't be here when the police arrive." Crane grabbed the Joker by the arm and pulled. The Joker refused to move.

"Go, Mister J," I told him. "Now's not the time to reveal my identity." The Joker glanced at me, his expression softening. He didn't resist Crane again, and they climbed into Teresa's BMW. Crane pulled out quickly and drove away, disappearing the same time the police and ambulance came around the corner.

"All right, Shadow, just lay here and let _me_ tell the story," Teresa ordered, quickly as she watched the police approach.

"What if they ask me? I mean, I'm conscious."

"You're creative, just make sure it goes along with my story. Let's say we basically came home from a late movie."

"Do you have movie tickets to prove that we have?" I asked. Teresa pulled out two tickets. "Seriously? They're not fake?"

"Jon and I were in the middle of the movie when Mister J called for me."

"Sorry."

"Doesn't matter. It was a boring movie anyway. You can claim you don't remember. You _did_ fall down stairs and hit your head on pavement."

I gently touched my head with a hand, and even the light touch hurt insanely. Gritting my teeth, I said, "There's a chance I might have a concussion."

"Let's hope it's not too serious." Teresa looked over her shoulder as the first police cruiser pulled up. "What a surprise. It's Gordon."

"He _is_ my boss after all," I told her.

Gordon looked at me and shook his head. "I guess it _has_ been awhile since your last accident," he remarked. My last accident had been more than two weeks ago when we were capturing Mr. Freeze; I happened to slip on frozen stairs and knocked my shoulder out of place.

As the EMTs talked to Teresa to get the story, I shrugged slightly to Gordon. "At least I wasn't in a life-and-death situation this time," I said.

Gordon grinned. "You probably shouldn't joke at a time like this."

"Humor makes me feel better. It's better than thinking gloomy thought of 'oh, the pain'. Ow," I said, holding my head.

"Let's take you to the hospital and see how you are," Gordan said gently with a concerned expression that made his face look too serious. I was tempted to ask him the question the Joker always asked.

"I couldn't argue with that," I said as the EMTs lifted me onto a stretcher. They rolled me into the ambulance, and Teresa and Gordon climbed in. "Gordon, this is my friend Teresa Scott; Teresa, I'm sure you know Commissioner Jim Gordon." They shook hands, and then the EMT spoke.

"Jane, isn't it?" he asked.

"That's me," I replied.

"Since you are on an overdose, the first thing we have to do is keep you awake. Do you feel tired?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah."

"Then, it's a good thing there are three of us to talk to," the EMT joked. "So tell me, how was the movie?"

"What movie?" I asked, confused by the sudden change of subject.

"The one we came from," Teresa supplied. "He's checking to see if you remember anything before you passed out."

"Can't name it, but I remember it was really boring. Didn't we walk out about halfway?" I looked over at Teresa who was trying not to laugh. I realized that this was going to prove difficult if she thought this was funny.

"No, we watched the whole thing, well, _I_ did. _You_ fell asleep in the middle."

"Why did you go to a movie so late," Gordon asked. "You slept while you waited for Dean."

"It was a last-minute decision," I lied. "If I've been on an overdose, then that explains my messed up sleeping schedule. Right, Doc?" I directed the question to the EMT who smirked when I called him 'Doc'.

"And I thought it was because of your working hours for the past three weeks," Teresa murmured.

I rolled my eyes and noticed that the EMT was sticking a needle in my arm. "Thanks for warning me," I told him and closed my eyes as a wave of dizziness came over me.

* * *

**Joker: I wanna kill someone.**

**Shadow: Be nice, Mister J. How did I come by an overdose?**

**NxS: *****looks away whistling innocently***

**D: *grins* Not telling and if I do, it would be in the story. And you make me laugh, NxS. When Shadow called the EMT 'Doc', you cracked me up. Yes, readers, that was basically a reference to me, and that was NxS's beta-ing for you. Don't forget to review!  
**


	50. Chapter 50

**D: I feel like I lost people again. I'd go down the list, but really, there's a load of you and I'm too lazy to look at the list that I was sorta keeping track.**

**Joker: And I miss, ah, all of you who hadn't reviewed. I swear, I didn't, ah, _kill_ anyone.**

**D: How's school going for people, btw?  
**

* * *

I was greeted home by a chorus of barks. My three rottweilers leaped up on me, yipping happily. I grinned as I crouched, letting them lick my face madly, their tails wagging at a hundred miles per hour.

"They missed you," Crane said, coming from the living room.

"Thanks for looking after them," I thanked him.

"The Joker did most of the pupsitting. I just did it when he wasn't here to play rough with them," Crane said as he scratched behind Prince's ear.

"All right, calm down," I told the happy puppies. "Where's the Joker now?"

"In your bedroom. The door's locked, and I didn't want to disturb him, no matter what he was going, raging, sleeping, meditating-."

"You think _the Joker_ meditates?"

"I was just giving an example, Shadow," Crane said, seriously.

I smiled and smacked his cheek playfully. "I know, I was only _teasing_, Jon. You must be tired if you didn't see the humor."

"I've been up _waiting_ for Teresa who is currently…" He waited for me to finish the sentence.

"Sitting in the car, pondering whether or not she should get an apartment close to me, wishing she had asked me if I wanted to stay with her tonight, and waiting for you."

"She's doing that _all at once_?" Crane asked, surprised.

"Wow, you _are_ tired, Doctor Crane. It's called multi-tasking, and women tend to do it better than men. Go home, Jon. Teresa's tired too."

Crane stared at me for a few seconds, enough for me to realize that he looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept the night before when my whole drama thing occurred. He surprised me by wrapping his arms around me, embracing me.

That must have been a sight. A six-foot man hugging a five foot five woman. Off by seven inches. There was half an inch between the top of my head and the bottom of his chin.

"Be careful, Shadow," Crane said, quietly. "This may sound strange coming from me, but I don't want you getting hurt anymore than is necessary."

"Is Teresa rubbing off on you?" I asked as he let go.

"I think we're _all_ rubbing off on one another." Crane grinned and then headed out the door.

The rottweilers began yipping again so I shushed them. I made my way toward the bedroom, steeling myself for the unpredictable. The puppies nudged my legs as I stood before the door, picking the lock.

"Go on the couch and let Mamma handle Daddy," I told them. The three of them gave me a disapproving look and went to sulk on the couch. They kept looking back so I quickly went into the room and put my back to the door.

The first I heard was deep breathing. I looked over to the bed to see the Joker sprawled on it. His warpaint had smudged, but fortunately, he had covered my pillows with a towel before he fell asleep. His gloves sat on the nightstand along with his cell phone, though he had a hand resting on the nightstand, beside the phone.

He looked so _troubled_ in his sleep, his expression constantly moving as if he was being tormented.

Suddenly, he sat straight up, gasping for air. I jumped, clapping a hand over my mouth before I made a noise.

The Joker's dark eyes were wide, and his face glistened with sweat. He raised a hand to wipe the sweat, but stopped, like he remembered he had paint on his face. The Joker swung his legs off the bed, bending over and remaining in that position as he tried to calm his rapid breathing.

"Heath?" I whispered.

The Joker jerked up, spinning to face me, but his eyes didn't quite meet mine, searching like he didn't know where I was.

I approached slowly, moving around the bed toward him. The Joker seemed to follow where I was going; his eyes wary. He took several steps back.

"Heath, it's just me," I said as I stopped by the foot of the bed.

"Sara?" He exhaled in relief, like he had held his breath. "When, ah, did you get back?"

"A few minutes ago. Jon's gone home with Teresa. The pups are sulking on the couch because I wouldn't pay them enough attention."

The Joker reached for the light, but his hand couldn't quite find it. I rolled my eyes and turned on the light. He jumped in surprise, leaping back from me; I was surprised to find that he had only been inches away from me when I had gone to switch on the light.

"Are you okay, Heath?" I asked, seeing something in his brown eyes that shouldn't be in the infamous Joker's orbs. I saw pure fear and panic.

"Fine," he said, a little too quickly.

I took a step toward him, and he retreated. "I'm not going to hurt you, Heath. Does this have to do with what happened last night? Or is it related to what you were dreaming about?"

The Joker had retreated to the window, clenching the windowsill behind him. "I don't, ah, usually dream, Shadow," he began, his voice shaky.

I had never seen the Joker act like this, not even when he was Heath did he have this sort of thing happen to him. "Listen, Heath. Take a deep breath and-."

"I don't _remember_ the dream," the Joker interrupted me. "It's the same as the last one, but I don't remember!"

"All right, calm down," I told him, soothingly. "Everything is going to be all right."

"No, it's not, not until that _boy's_ out of my sight for good, out of your life!"

I knew he was talking about Dean. The Joker, as angry and as jealous as he was, wouldn't listening to me if I tried to explain things to him so I attempted changing the subject.

"At least I don't have any major problems," I told him.

A smile curled on his lips. "Don't, ah, change the subject, Sara." He sounded amused, but still angry.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't enjoy it when you're angry, Heath. We can't talk about Dean because it makes you mad."

"Do you _want_ to, ah, to talk about him?" The Joker was strangely calm, cocking his head to the side, giving me an impression of a puppy.

"No, because you never seem to trust what I say."

He straightened, and his eyes glistened mysteriously. "Try me," he dared.

"Not this time." I turned and headed toward the door.

The Joker grabbed my arm, pulling me back. I turned to face him, a stoical expression on my face. "Why is, ah, the Tiger backing down?" he asked, his scars peeling back his lips in a menacing grin.

"Because the Tiger realizes that there's no use trying to convince a jealous _madman_ that she's _not_ cheating on him." I tried to pull away, but the Joker's grip turned into a vice.

"I'm not mad," he insisted, "I'm, ah, just curious."

"I don't mean 'mad' in that sense. I meant 'mad' as in '_insane_'." I attempted to get away again, but the Joker roughly pulled me back, clicking open his switchblade.

"Why are, ah, you do _difficult_?" the Joker asked.

"Who did you call to stay here with me?"

"Does it, ah, matter since you got out anyway, to save the Deanboy?"

I glared at him. "You didn't seem to be thinking clearly so I had to intervene. I don't think it's Dean's time to die."

"In other words, ah, you don't _want_ it to be Dean's time."

"I have him working on something, Heath," I yelled, losing it. "It's something _I_ don't have time for, and he has all the time in the world. I don't want you laying a finger on him! And don't tell me that you don't have to," I snapped as the Joker opened his mouth, "_Don't_ kill Dean. Do you hear me?"

The Joker pouted, but he said, "_Per_-fectly."

"Great, now let me go. _I'm_ going to sleep on the couch." I tore my arm free and stormed out of the room, expecting the Joker to follow after me. As I approached the couch, my three rottweilers got excited, even when they knew I was in a foul mood.

I laid there with Scout and Prince resting between my legs and on my chest. Buddy fell asleep on the ground, his nose touching my hand. With the puppies asleep, I couldn't move, or I would wake them up so I closed my eyes and hoped that I wouldn't have to move in the night.

I was still awake when I heard the Joker in the bathroom, running the water faucet. He had to be washing off his makeup so I tried to ignore him as he gurgled for the fun of it. I began to fall asleep, but I was only halfway there when the Joker said, "I can, ah, tell that you're still awake."

"Maybe I was _just_ about to fall asleep," I snapped, sleepily.

His feet shuffled faintly on the carpet. "You can more to the bed, ah, if you want," he said softly.

"I'm quite comfy here."

He sighed and went away, probably going into the bedroom.

I tried to adjust my position, but Prince mouthed my leg in his sleep, telling me not to move. I lay there, feeling guilty. I was being so mean to Heath; I'm surprised he was letting me act like this. Two months ago, he would have beaten me for misbehaving.

As I drifted off to sleep, I figured I would apologize in the morning.

Unfortunately, the Joker had gone, and I had slept in late. As I hurried to get ready for work, I was grateful that the Joker had taken time to deal with the rottweilers.

Someone knocked on my door, and I nearly tripped over Buddy - who looked like he was headed toward my bedroom - trying to answer it.

Anna Ramirez stood there. "Are you in a hurry?" she asked, giving me a critical look.

I held the door open slightly, using my foot to keep Scout from attacking. "Getting ready for work," I responded, "Sit, Scout."

"You have pet?"

"Three of them, rottweilers, got them two months ago. No, Prince, get back. I'm sorry, Anna."

"That's all right. I came by to see how you were going. You should take the day off, Jane. You just came home last night."

"I don't have anything better to do." I pushed Scout and Prince back before opening the door completely. "Let her get in first, pups," I told them.

They waited a split second before surging forward, begging for Ramirez's attention. Ramirez crouched so that she could give the puppies pats.

"Puppies," I murmured.

"Is Dean working?" Ramirez asked, casually.

"He's getting his car fixed with a friend," I said, lying easily. "Would you like a drink or something?"

"Water will be fine." Ramirez looked around from her crouched position. "Nice place. You're not only tidy at work, but you're clean at home."

"Nothing better to do," I explained, filling a glass from the faucet. I returned to her, and as she straightened, Scout and Prince winced. "Enough of that," I told them. "Go bother Buddy." They yipped at me and then raced away into the bedroom where Buddy had taken a spot on my bed.

"Take the day off, Jane," Ramirez told me. "Gordon's order."

"Why?" I asked. "He knows that I recover quickly."

"He's asked me and Stephens to have the day off as well. It's not just you, Jane."

I looked at her, curiously. "Any particular reason?"

"The new district attorney's been selected, after the last one the Joker decided to kill."

"How long have we been out of DAs?" I asked.

"Over three months. A man named Jason Hawkins has decided to step up. The only problem is that he's not from around here."

"Wait, who was the last DA?"

"Maria Hartwell, killed during a press conference. The Joker showed up and shot her in the head."

I winced. "He must not have liked her very much," I remarked.

Ramirez sipped her water and then nodded. "Maria caught him twenty-seven times in her five-month period."

"Busy woman," I replied nonchalantly as I could.

"You can say that again. Anyway, Bruce Wayne is having another of his traditional parties for the new DA. It's formal, but since we'll be going on duty, semi-formal is allowed." She must have seen the look on my face because she started laughing. "You're not a party person, are you?"

"I'm a quiet person until you get to know me."

Ramirez clapped me on the shoulder. "Mr. Wayne won't have a hard time cracking your protective shell. He's Gotham's playboy."

I smiled. "I'd like to see him try."

"He likes challenges. Besides, he already has a girlfriend," she replied with the hint of amusement in her tone.

"He's settling down. With who?"

Ramirez smirked. "You're observant, Jane. You'll be able to find out who." I was very curious, but I just shrugged and let it slide.

"When is it?" I asked.

"Tonight as eight."

"It's not a dinner party then."

She shook her head. "Gordon wants you and me to go with him to it, to protect the new DA. He also wants you to meet him at-."

My cell phone rang, cutting Ramirez off. I checked to see who was calling and grinned. Flipping it open, I greeted the caller. "Hi, Gordon."

"_Aren't you cheerful?"_ he commented. _"Has Anna arrived?"_

"A few minutes ago."

"_Has she told you what I want?" _he asked, sounding a little amused.

"She was getting to it."

"_Meet me at the MCU at seven thirty. I didn't tell Anna why, but it's because you need to get your weapon license, despite the fact that you've already handled guns before. No need to tell anyone that though."_

"All right, Gordon."

"_I'll drive you up to the party for Jason."_

"Thanks, Gordon." I hung up. "Guess you don't need to tell me why he wants me."

"He has the best timing," Ramirez chuckled.

* * *

I sat in my Sentra, waiting for seven thirty to arrive. I couldn't see Gordon's car so I figured I'd wait for him before I went in.

A sudden bark startled me, and I whipped my head around to see Scout sitting in the backseat.

"How did you-?" I cut myself off, hitting the steering wheel in frustration. Scout had intelligence, getting out of the apartment and getting into my car. How she did it was a mystery to me. "Go home, Scout," I ordered, climbing out of the car. I opened the back door, and Scout leaped down, pressing against me affectionately. "You're not a cat," I told her. "Go home!"

Then, I saw Gordon's car pull up beside mine, and I swore.

"Home, Scout, now," I ordered.

"Who are you talking to, Jane?" Gordon asked, closing his car door.

I sighed. "My dog Scout." Gordon came around my car and saw the puppy. Scout bared her teeth at him, standing in front of my protectively. "Down, Scout, he's a friend." The rottweiler approached Gordon cautiously, her ears perked up. "You're not allergic, are you?" I asked Gordon.

"No." He held out a hand toward my puppy, and she sniffed it, still cautious. "Training her as a guard dog?"

"Rottweilers are bred as protective dogs."

Gordon had Scout licking his hand, and she nudged his leg, begging to be pat. "It's just Scout then?" he asked, a smile on his face.

I had the urge to lie, but he might find out about Buddy and Prince from Ramirez. His tone set warning bells off in my head; I had a bad feeling about his purpose of asking if I had more puppies. Luckily, the Joker wasn't an actual puppy, even if he _did_ ace like one sometimes.

"I have two boys at home," I replied casually with a shrug.

"Mind if we take them along. They seem well-behaved," Gordan asked with a smile while scratching behind Scout's ears.

I wanted to tell what their ages were, but he had seen how the youngest acted. I sighed and shrugged again. "What do you have in mind, Gordon?"

* * *

**D: Party time, everyone!**

**Joker: I'm, ah, not invited.**

**Shadow: Since when did you _need _an invitation?**

**Joker: *smirks***

**NxS:**** Don't forget to review!**


	51. Chapter 51

**D: I apologize for the long wait. School is picking up and all, and I was waiting for NxS to beta-read, but seems like she's busy too so this chapter isn't beta'd. Hope none of you mind.**

* * *

Seven o'clock arrived, but Gordon and I came to the penthouse ten minutes after. We rode the elevator in silence, except for Prince's playful yips as he played with Buddy's ear. Buddy sat patiently, looking up at me for approval, and I beamed at him for his good behavior. Scout paced near the elevator door like she was thinking of how to behave.

I worried that they would behave like puppies and bring me shame. However, when the doors slid open, my three rottweilers stood up and acted all high-and-mighty, silent and obedient.

I let them go off on their own, having explained to Gordon that I trusted them to not get into trouble.

I had a panic moment when I saw how many people were there. The best I could do was to follow Gordon after the first ten minutes. The shyness in me returned after a twelve-year vacation. I just wanted to die right there and then when I realized I had lost Gordon among all the guests.

I stood close to the wall, wishing it wasn't so bright in the penthouse. All I wanted was to shadow away from here, to wherever my Heath happened to be at this moment.

"You look nervous. Do you need a spirit to calm you down?"

The sudden voice made me jump, and it took me a moment to look and recognize the speaker.

"Not much of a party-person, are you?" He chuckled softly and then held out his hand. "I'm Bruce Wayne."

"Detective McKinley," I replied, shaking his hand.

"You must be Gordon's new detective."

I smiled and asked, "Would you consider me new if I've been working with him for over two months, Mr. Wayne?"

"Please, Bruce is just fine," he replied, "And I suppose you wouldn't be considered 'new', but you are _newer_." He smiled, and for a moment, I thought my heart stopped.

Get a grip on yourself, girl. He has a girlfriend, and you're already claimed. Not to mention being claimed by a mass-murderer. That's what I told myself.

"It's not every day you meet a shy detective." Now what in the world made me say that?

"You don't seem _that_ shy," Bruce remarked. "I'd consider you a quiet person, observant. A shy person wouldn't talk."

"That's true," I said.

"And being quiet helps in your kind of field. Being observant is only the beginning. I suppose you retrieve a great deal of information being simply _observing_ people." Bruce flashed me a charming smile, and I felt my mouth twitch. "Besides, quiet people tend to open up once they get to know someone."

"You're supposed to be a business man, not a psychiatrist," I told him. "It's like there are two sides to you."

"Doesn't everyone?" he returned, casually. Bruce turned his head, looking like he was searching for someone, and asked, "Would you like a drink?"

"I'm on duty, Mr. Wayne."

"Bruce is fine."

"As is water." Bruce's grin widened, and he looked at me to give me a nod before he moved away, telling me to wait for his return.

I remained where I was, running a hand through my hair. What was I doing? For some reason, I was finding it difficult to breathe. I am the Joker's, I told myself, repeating it over and over in my head.

I wanted to move so that I didn't have to see him again, but Bruce was already returning with a glass of water.

"I heard you helped with the capture of Mr. Freeze," he said, casually, "Must have been a rather _chilling_ experience."

I smiled at the joke. "I was there, but I didn't exactly _help_ with the capture."

"That's what the Commissioner said during the press conference."

"He just wanted to spare me of the shame of popping my shoulder outta its socket."

Bruce looked at me curiously. "How did you do that?" he asked.

"I slipped on the stairs."

He winced, sympathetically. "Things could have been worse," he commented.

"Be glad that you're not on the force," I told him, taking a sip from the water. "Bruises and such are only the beginning."

"Any luck with any of the other criminals?" I gave him a guarded look, and he quickly sipped his wine. "Unless it's secret, that's fine," he said, quickly. I continued to stare at him to see how he would react. Bruce cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with the situation.

"It's not wrong for you to be curious," I told him to calm him. "It's not like you're the only one in Gotham who wonders how well the police force is doing."

Bruce's shoulders slumped slightly, releasing a moment's tension. Then, he drained more than half his glass before he looked at me. "C'mon, I want you to meet someone."

I gave him a wary look.

"She's a good friend of mine. Don't worry, she won't bite." He took my arm gently and led me through the crowds of people. I searched the crowd as we went, trying to see if I recognized anybody, but I didn't, unfortunately.

"Jane, this is Selina Kyle; Selina, this is Detective McKinley." I snapped my attention back at the name, and I met Selina's gentle gaze. Of course, she had to be faking the gentleness; she had gone stiff.

"Pleasant to meet you," I greeted, holding out my hand. She took it with a fake smile that convinced Bruce, but not me.

"You must be the new detective," Selina said, trying to start a casual conversation.

"_Newer_ than the others," I replied. She arched an eyebrow. "Mr. Wayne and I had a chat about the use of the word 'new'."

"She's been a detective for more than two months," Bruce explained, giving me a look that plainly told me that he wished I just used his first name. Selina turned her head, and a real smile took the fake one. I found this interesting, but I pretended I was distracted, looking around.

"Congratulations on the arrest of the iceman," Selina said, and I beamed. She was giving me a warning look, and I knew that she knew that I had guesses as to who Bruce Wayne was.

Just then, I felt something at my feet, and I heard a low growl. I looked down and saw Prince at my feet, growling toward Selina. "Shush, Prince," I murmured, and he shut up, still glaring at the Catwoman.

"Yours?" Bruce asked, curiously.

"Sorry, Gordon wanted to bring them."

"There are more?"

"Just two others. Training," I explained, "For being around a crowd of people. Besides, they might sniff out drugs, and I'm not saying you would have any, Mr. Wayne."

"It's good to be on your guard anyway," Bruce said, a sparkle in his eye. "You never know."

I was tempted to ask how old he thought he was. The word _playboy_ crossed my mind.

"Have you met Jason Hawkins yet?" Bruce asked me.

I wanted to lie, but I shook my head.

"I'll introduce you."

"Well, well, Bruce, ol' man." I recognized the voice, and I couldn't resist rolling my eyes before turning along with Bruce and Selina.

"Edward," Bruce greeted, shaking Nigma's hand.

I looked at the Riddler closely. There was something different about him, but I couldn't quite put a finger on it.

"…Detective McKinley," Bruce said, probably finishing with introductions.

"Yes, we've met," Nigma replied, his eyes boring into mine. "How have you been since we last met, Detective?"

I searched for any menace in his voice and expression, but I found nothing.

"Busy, Mr. Nigma. And how 'bout you?" I returned. "Your invention, the Box seems to have a grand success. There's hardly a home without one."

"Even now, most stores are sold out," Selina added. I avoided looking at her because I would have started laughing at her attempt to join the conversation.

"Critics say that the Box has turned the people of Gotham into zombies," Bruce stated, calmly. I looked at him, disbelieving. He was openly _accusing_ Nigma for criminal activity.

"That's what they said when TV was invented," Nigma responded coolly, glancing slyly at me like he was daring me to say more.

I flipped my head, tossing my hair out of my face. "Mr. Nigma, have you thought of my last question?"

A look of curiosity appeared on his face. "I have an answer for it," he said, accepting my subtle hint.

I smiled. "Will you excuse us, Mr. Wayne, Ms. Kyle?"

"Of course," Bruce replied. Selina's eyes revealed her suspicion.

I led the way back to my little corner where Bruce had found me. There, I turned on the Riddler. "Enjoying the party, _Eddie_?" I asked, harshly.

"Quite." His calm façade disappeared. "Why are _you_ here?" he demanded.

"To keep criminals such as _you_ under control," I snapped, quietly. I wanted this argument to be kept between him and me. "I see that you have to keep your reputation as Edward Nigma up as well. Who's double-sided now?"

"You're playing it more dangerous than the rest of us," he argued.

"Oh, so _serious_," I teased. "You need to lighten up." Nigma grabbed my jacket, but I slapped his hands away. "We're in public, Rid," I told him. "Don't want anyone getting _suspicious_ now, do we? Though I doubt you'd count the cat being suspicious. Who else might be here who happens to play a double life?" Then, a thought struck me. "If you've been caught, how come the police aren't after you? They must know you're the Riddler."

Nigma's mouth turned into a grin. He tapped his temples. "It's a trick of mine," he responded. "Just like every other-." He cut himself off as a black man approached us, holding a wine glass.

"Good evenin'," he greeted with his words slurred a tad. "Might, ah, I 'ave a _word_ 'ith 'Etect-." He hiccupped and then continued, "Me sorry. A word 'ith the 'etective 'ere."

Nigma gave me a strange look, and I was very aware of how confused I was.

"Me name's Jack Paige. 'Ou know me wife 'lexis."

I was suddenly aware that the man was speaking in a code. The names were part of the code. Jack was the Joker, and Alexis Paige was Teresa's other alias.

I let recognition appear on my face. "Jack," I greeted, cheerfully, "I didn't recognize you at first."

"Quite all 'ight."

"How is Alexis these days?" I put an arm over his shoulder, leading him away from the Riddler.

"Fine, 'ust fine," he responded, giving me subtle hints as to where to lead him. We left the main room and headed down a hallway where the black man dropped his voice to reveal a more familiar one. "I was hoping I'd find you in there rather than with the boss."

I slapped him hard across the face. "Why are you here, Dean, and how did you know about the names? And why are you black?"

Dean grabbed my wrist and pulled me down the hallway, running toward a door. He turned the knob and opened it. I followed him in, and we stopped dead.

A couple was kissing and hugging on a couch.

I instantly took Dean's arm and yanked him out of the room, closing the door behind him. He didn't need to see any farther, nor did I. I _knew_ what that kind of action led to; I didn't need to see it when I've already experienced it. And I preferred if Dean didn't see until...well, until it was time for that last innocence in him to vanish.

Dean's expression had turned pale, and I forced him to drink from the wine glass he held. As we ran, he had spilled a good amount of it, but a few drops should distract him, as well as me repeating my questions.

"Teresa wants to talk to you," Dean replied, shakily. "She had me get painted a convincing black so that I could get to you and not be recognized."

"By whom?" I demanded.

"The criminal masterminds. You were talking to one of them, Detective."

"I _know_ that, Dean! You don't know how much I know already." I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply to calm myself. "Where's Teresa?" I asked.

"In one of these rooms." Dean moved onto the next door, this time placing his ear against the wood to check. The door opened as Dean neared it, and I felt an invisible hand grab my jacket.

Dean and I were yanked into the room, and the door closed. I put a hand up and touched a bunch of coats.

"You wanted to meet in a freaking _coat closet_?" I demanded in a sharp tone.

"Quiet, Shadow," Crane's voice answered.

"You're here too, Jon?"

"It would appear so. Sit down, we're down here." I sat down and felt something under me. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't sit on me, Shadow," Crane added, sounding amused.

"Sorry." I moved over until I was on the floor. Something clicked open, and a small flame appeared from a lighter that Teresa held. "Careful of the coats," I murmured.

"Afraid of fire, Shadow?" Teresa teased.

"No, I'm afraid that you'll set the coats on fire while we're _in_ here."

"It will warm you up." I glared at her as I shivered, but it couldn't have been the cold because it was warm in the closet. "Dean," Teresa said, turning to him, "You're away that someone is out to kill Shadow, correct?"

My mouth dropped open as Dean turned his face toward me, as if asking for permission. "Do you know who that man is?" I asked, eagerly.

"We have some leads," Crane answered, "But does Dean know?"

"She's told me the basics," Dean replied.

"Such as?"

"Someone is out to kill her, and the lead is that it's someone who knows the Joker and values him highly."

"What?" I looked at him in shock; I hadn't thought of the last part.

"It's obvious," Teresa stated, "Someone close to the Joker, claiming he's the Joker's guardian. No one loves the Joker enough to want to keep him alive."

"And we're not including you, Teresa, or I," Crane said quickly before I protested.

"What 'bout me?" Dean asked.

"You are a possible suspect."

"Why do you say 'possible'?"

"The Joker hates you, and you don't hate Shadow." Crane glanced at me, and I avoided his gaze. "Dean, would you try to kill Shadow?"

"Never," Dean insisted, sounding angry from the fact that anyone would believe he would try such a thing. "I'm her friend. I'd never try to kill her." He gave me a cautious look, and I glared at him, knowing who he was thinking about.

"_Don't_ say a _word_," I growled at him.

"Say what?" Teresa asked, interested, and I threw a glare in her direction.

"What are _your_ leads?" I asked Crane.

He glanced at Teresa who gave him a begging look. "Bother Shadow on your _own_ time," he told her and turned to me. "This handy instrument," he began, holding up the instrument that stopped me from shadowing, "Is from NigmaTech."

"The Riddler…" I knew he had a grudge against me for stopping him in joining together all the criminals. "But there's one problem," I said. "The Riddler doesn't know the Joker-."

"I didn't say it _was_ the Riddler," Crane cut me off. "Don't jump to conclusions. That's not your job, as a detective." I punched him in the arm. "As I was saying, this instrument is from NigmaTech, and it's an interesting thought to think that the Riddler would create something that would stop you from shadowing, like he already knows it works. What exactly does it do, Shadow?"

"Electricity, it sends electricity through my mind, disabling me from concentrating."

"Wait, _disabling_ or making it _harder_." I rolled my eyes. "I'm playing your job, Shadow. A detective asks a million questions."

"Just like psychiatrists," I shot back. Crane smiled. "I suppose it might just make it harder, but you have to put in the headaches I get from it."

"You always seem to get headaches," Teresa remarked.

"It's because she had an overdose," Dean replied.

"No," I snapped, irritated, "I've had headaches since the Joker first found me!" I rubbed my temples as another headache emerged. "It's like I can't do _anything_ without getting one."

"Could it be connected to your ability?" Crane asked. "Teresa was the same, but she got over it once she had complete control."

"Maybe that's it. I don't know my limits." I winced. "Look, I should get back before anyone misses me, but I have to ask. What's the _real_ reason behind Dean being painted black?"

"Disguise," Dean answered, "They needed me to get into the party while they were invisible."

"What about the names?"

"I thought you figured those out."

"What about Jack?"

"That's the name the boss used when he hired me, isn't it?" I had a powerful urge to smack him. "It was also another hint as to warn you that the boss is in the lobby downstairs, or at least he was when I was last down there."

My eyes widened, and I reached up, touching the handle and turning it. I tumbled out of the closet, hitting my head on the doorframe as I went. Getting to my feet, I rubbed my head.

"Just a warning, Shadow," Crane said as he, Dean, and Teresa climbed out of the closet after me. "Your Puppy's gone double with magic."

I gave him a confused look. "What?" He only grinned and grabbed Teresa's hand, disappearing from view.

Then, I heard gunshots and screams of surprise, and I realized that I needed to be in the main room so I ran back to the party with Dean at my heels.

* * *

**D: So intense!**

**Joker: YAY! I'm, ah, in the next chapter!**

**D: Don't get too happy.**

**Shadow: You're not going to kill him, are you?**

**D: That's for me to know and you to find out.**

**Joker: Oh no...**

**D: Don't forget to review, dear readers!  
**


	52. Chapter 52

**D: All right, I'm sorry, readers. I've been slacking and all. I'm just busy with work and school and all that fun stuff. Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it.**

* * *

"Is it just me, or does this, ah, feel like déjà vu?" the Joker asked loudly so everyone could hear him.

"_Jane, where are you?"_ Gordon's voice asked.

I pressed two fingers to my ear to activate the earphone. "Close to the door on the left of the elevator," I whispered, "Where's Ramirez?"

"_Near the refreshments."_

I pulled out my gun and crept along the wall, still holding my fingers to my ear. "Does he have any men with him?"

"_Four that I can see, but be wary. He might have set men among the party members. Where are your dogs?"_

"Not close to me," I answered, curving around a bend, dropping my hand and deactivating my mike. Now, I could see the Joker walking proudly amongst the party members; they made a path depending on where he was heading.

"You must be, ah, thinking I'm after the new district attorney Jason _Ha_-wkins," the Joker laughed. "Dead wrong."

He grabbed a boy out of the crowd, pressing his gun to the kid's head. The boy appeared to be in his middle teens, too young to socialize well with the adults but old enough to come to a party such as this. I glanced over to see the boy's mother clinging tightly to her husband, fearing for her son's life.

I looked back, seeing the daring menace in the Joker's eyes, but I saw the paralyzing fear in the kid's.

"We have a, ah, a young one at such a formal _fiesta_," the Joker giggled, looking around the room. "Bet he argued, ah, with his mom and dad, wanting to stay home rather than come to a party where he can't socialize with some _pretty girl_." The Joker looked down at the boy, stroking his hair. "I know the feeling…" He turned the boy slightly, grabbing the back of his neck and forcing him to look at him. "Tell me, kid, _did_ you, ah, argue with your parents?"

The boy simply stared at him, his eyes wide with fear. His lower lip trembled, and it didn't look like he was going to answer.

"Come now, boy," the Joker encouraged, smacking the boy's cheek softly. "It's better to answer rather than give me the silent treatment. Your life, ah, depends on your actions less than the others' around you. Look at the crowd." He gestured with his gun to everyone around them. "If one of them makes a wrong move, your life ends now. So far, none of them will _dare_." The Joker pointedly glared at the guests. "I can name one who _would_ dare…" He looked directly at me, his dark eyes boring into mine. It shocked me how he had found me so fast, among the crowd, but then; I figured he could sense me no matter where I was in the room.

"Now!" the Joker yelled, making everyone in the room jump. "Kid, answer my question. Did you argue with your parents before you came here?"

The boy swallowed and said something inaudible from where I stood.

"No?" The Joker's voice had gone so low that it was nearly inaudible as well. "No," he repeated, louder. "What kind of teenager _are_ you?" He had suddenly turned angry, or he was only acting. Either way, the Joker is dangerous while standing on the edge. "You didn't want to stay home! Were you in the state of mind of believing that you'd meet a girl your age? Pathetic." The Joker slapped the boy's face none too gently as if punishing him and then shoved him away in disgust like he was trash. "The youth of Gotham are proving to be quite, ah, _disappointing_." I took a deep breath.

He took a moment and leered at the guests around him. A middle-aged woman seemed to catch his eye, and he approached her, licking his lips. "Nervous, aren't you?" he asked her. "Is it from you not knowing why, ah, I'm here or because of the scars?"

I couldn't resist the urge to roll my eyes. What was he going to do? Actually tell his real story or come up with something else? Did Heath want Gordon to hear his scar story, or was he not aware that there were cops in the room?

The Joker started laughing at the woman as his stare began to unnerve her. "Are you, ah, _married_?" he asked, "Because I can see, ah, that marriage would ruin a woman such as yourself." He faked a violent step forward, and the woman cried out in horror. The Joker giggled in response, seeming to taste her fear with his flickering tongue as it darted out over his lips again.

A man from the crowd shoved his way forward, coming to stand between the woman and the Joker. He was taller than the Joker, enough to make the Joker crane his neck back to look in the man's eyes.

"You must be, ah, the lady's husband," the Joker said, his mouth twitching with amusement. "Do you feel, ah, _insulted_ by what I said? Think you can match me with _size_?"

The gentleman glared at him.

I continued to move slowly, trying to get a better view as well as to not attract attention.

"Not much of a talker, are you?" The Joker clicked open his switchblade, and the man flinched. "I like that in a man. Less trouble."

"You don't frighten me, little man," the gentleman said in a very deep voice with a heavy accent. He spoke like English wasn't his first language.

The Joker looked at him in mock surprise. "Little man," he repeated. "Tell me, sir, have you, ah, heard the saying, 'The bigger they are, the _harder_ they fall'?" Before the gentleman could react, the Joker kneed him, and as he doubled over in pain, the Joker stabbed him in the gut, dropping him on the ground where he convulsed in agony.

"Henry!" His wife darted forward, but the Joker leaped at her, grabbing her face, startling her.

"Sh-sh-sh," he hushed her, petting her cheek. She tried to get out of his grasp, but a flash of his switchblade in front of her face, and she went still, the color in her expression vanishing. "You'll thank me later," the Joker told her before he pushed her away from him and moved out into the open.

"_Ramirez, move to see if the man's going to survive,"_ Gordon ordered as the Joker moved away from the few people he had already tormented. _"McKinley, watch her back."_

I saw Ramirez move form the refreshments, making stalky movements toward the tortured couple. Her route took her close to the Joker, but she managed to pass him. I began my own route toward the couple, keeping an eye on the Joker.

"I did come for someone," the Joker said, talking loudly again for all to hear. "I wonder, ah, if anyone has heard of her." The Joker halted, spun around and saw Ramirez. I was still several feet away from her, but I ducked as the Joker's eyes swept the crowd.

"Ramirez," the Joker said, speaking her name slowly for effect. She glanced over her shoulder, and when she saw him staring at her, she stood up and turned to him, her gun held ready at her side, pointed at him. "C'mon, why point it at me when you're, ah, not going to pull the trigger? I'm not, ah, _doing_ anything!"

I gritted my teeth, continued through the crowd past Ramirez and going toward the refreshment table.

The Joker stalked toward Ramirez, playing with his switchblade. He moved so gracefully, even for a scarred, hunched figure. I was amazed to see him in his full form as the Joker, something I hadn't seen for awhile. I could almost see the energy coming off his lean frame in waves. Watching Heath made me feel giddy.

No, he wasn't Heath; he was the Joker, in shades of purple, full form.

"Come, girl, I promise not to, ah, to hurt you." The Joker licked his lips, trying to hold back his laughter but only managing to muffle it into soft giggles.

Suddenly, he raced forward and rammed into Ramirez. She fell over the wounded gentleman and lost her weapon in the progress.

The Joker straightened his jacket and casually pushed his hair out of his face. "Pick that up," he ordered his nearest man who wore a clown mask. As the goon obeyed, the Joker turned to face the rest of the crowd. "One cop is here. How 'bout the others? C'mon, show your brilliant faces," the Joker urged, "I _love_ to see familiar faces!"

"_Stay hidden, Jane,"_ Gordon ordered.

"What?" My eyes widened in surprised as Gordon pushed his way forward. I didn't see the point of hiding since the Joker knew I was here, but then, Gordon didn't know that.

The Joker grinned. "Why, hello again, _Com-_missioner," he greeted, tauntingly. "What brings you to, ah, to the party?" Then, the Joker held up his free hand. "No, wait, let me guess. The new DA needs, ah, _protection_." He looked up and met Gordon's eyes. "Too bad you didn't, ah, expect me coming here for your new _de_-tective."

The Joker laughed as he put away his knife and took out his gun. He pulled the trigger, and Gordon howled in pain, collapsing to the ground while clenching his right leg. "Lose the weapon, Gordon, or I'll, ah, shoot again."

"I'll blow off your head before you had the chance to shoot again." The words slipped out of my mouth before I realized it.

"_Jane, no,"_ Gordon whispered in pain, but it was too late. The damage had been done.

The Joker turned his head slowly toward me. I felt a chilly sensation run through my as his dark eyes took in the sight of me holding a gun aimed at his head.

A smile crept upon his scarred mouth, and from where I stood, I could see the hungry and insane gleam in his eyes. That same madness and thirst threatened to overtake me, but I realized, with slight horror, that I wasn't wearing my blue contacts. If my eyes turned purple, I was in for a difficult situation.

"Well, if it isn't, ah, Gordon's new _de_-tective," the Joker said. He lowered his weapon and stalked toward me, the gracefulness of his walk distracting me. He licked his lips as he continued forward, becoming twitchy as he neared me. "It's been quite ah-while, _dar_-ling."

I jerked the gun, glaring at him. "What do you want, clown?"

"I want-tah you to give yourself up." He licked his lips again, still heading toward me. Then, he lifted his weapon and pulled the trigger.

I gasped, startled as my gun flew out of my hand. Before I could react farther, the Joker charged at me. I ducked away, sticking out my foot for him to trip over. He laughed and jumped over it, landing on the refreshment table, sending desserts and glasses scattering.

With a howl of laughter, the Joker jumped at me, and he knocked me down onto the ground, landing on me. His switchblade appeared at my mouth.

"Jane!" Gordon yelled, wincing in pain.

"Wasn't, ah, _that_ fun?" the Joker asked me and burst into giggles.

I grabbed his vest, and with an enormous effort, threw him over my head. He laughed, managing to catch himself in a roll. I flipped to my feet, grabbing my fun, and faced him, waiting for him to make the next move.

The Joker grinned as he shook his head wildly. "Last person to, ah, to do that same maneuver on me was Batman," he said casually as he straightened his jacket again, brushing his wild hair out of his painted face. "And to think that _that_ was back when Harvey Dent was the DA."

The Joker moved swiftly, leaping toward Ramirez. I could only watch as he knocked her weapon down, grabbing her roughly and yanking her to her feet. He pressed his switchblade to her throat.

"Let her go, Joker," I ordered, slowly stepped forward. I watched his eyes, trying to read what his intentions were, but most likely, not even _he_ knew what he was doing. Then, I saw his eyes flicker to the left.

I instantly spun to the right, my hand snapping on one of the Joker's men's wrists. He tried to throw a punch at my face, but I caught his fist with my other hand, dropping my gun in the process. Bringing up my knee, I kneed him hard, and he gasped in pain, doubling over.

As he collapsed on the ground, I bent down to pick up my weapon. However, the guy tried to knock my feet out from underneath me with his arm. I flipped over him, turning and jabbed him in the back with my elbow. He cried in pain, and I grabbed my gun again.

As I stood up, two of the Joker's men grabbed my arms. I didn't resist them but whistled loudly.

Three barks responded, and then my rottweilers raced through the crowd. Buddy and Prince went for my capturers, biting their legs and dragging them on the ground. Scout attacked the last of the Joker's men, jumping into the air and biting down on the man's shoulder.

Once I was freed, I aimed my weapon at the Joker again, seeing his surprise to see his pups here in his expression. He still had Ramirez in his grasp.

He caught my eyes and scowled. "Lower the gun and call off your dogs, _De_-tective," he growled.

"Afraid of dogs like you?" I demanded. "The only difference is that you're mad."

"I'm not," the Joker answered with his tone dangerously low. He applied pressure on his knife, making Ramirez wince.

I didn't flinch, merely pointed my gun at his head. If he pushed me too far, Heath's life was going to end far faster than Ramirez. I liked her, but she wasn't a close friend; I could sacrifice her.

"You're hard core, aren't you?" the Joker asked with mocking laughter. "Do you _care_ if this woman gets hurt? _Especially_ since she _helped_ me get Harvey Dent."

My eyes widened in shock, and there were gasps all around me, coming from the surprised guests.

"Of course, only three men in this city _knew_ the truth about the night Harvey Dent died," the Joker continued.

"Quiet, Joker," Gordon yelled.

"I don't, ah, want to _disappoint_ my audience, _Com_-missioner." The Joker pushed Ramirez toward me, and I came forward to catch her before she stumbled.

"Are you okay?" I asked her. She nodded, but there was a trickle of blood where the Joker's knife had been.

The Joker approached Gordon, ignoring the growls of my rottweilers. "Do _you_ wanna, ah, tell the story, _Com­-_missioner?" he asked. He crouched before the Commissioner, playing with his switchblade. Licking his lips, he continued, "I'm _willing_ to hand over the floor, Gordon. Just know that the crowd is, ah, _wait_-ing."

The Joker continued to stare into Gordon's eyes, but when the Commissioner said nothing, the Joker clicked his tongue. "So disappointing."

"Just like you," I said, stepping out in the open. Ramirez tried to stop me, but I shrugged her off.

The Joker looked over his shoulder, distracted. Gordon kicked him in the chest, catching him by surprise and sending the Joker sliding on the floor on his back.

I jumped forward, shoving the Joker on his front and securing a pair of handcuffs on him. Pressing my gun into his back, I said, "You're under arrest, clown boy."

* * *

**D: Don't mess with Shadow.**

**Joker: I'm, ah, not worried.**

**Shadow: You shouldn't be. Am I going to let him go?**

**D: Maybe, just wait for the next chapter. Review!**


	53. Chapter 53

**D: Geez, I feel so guilty with losing my momentum from last year...yeah, amazing. I was doing great with uploading a chapter every other day, and then..._bang_, I lost it. Oh well, still working on it, and it's still hasn't ended for me yet so...onward!**

* * *

The Joker twisted his neck so that he could try to see me, despite my weapon being at his back. "Under arrest?" he asked, innocently. "I _hardly_ believe that."

"Don't make me laugh," I told him, giving him a sharp jab with my gun.

"All right, how 'bout a _magic_ trick?" My eyes widened as his hands slipped out of the handcuffs with the help of his gloves, and he grabbed my gun, pulling me so that I landed on his back. He grabbed my arms behind him and rolled us over, smashing me underneath him.

I grunted as the Joker leaped to his feet, spinning and grabbing my arm, yanking me to my feet. He slapped the handcuffs on my wrists, and he pulled me so close that his breath blew in my face. I smelled mint, but I pretended to be disgusted.

"I've seen that one already," I told him, angrily.

"Oh, don't worry, I've got a _better_ one, I promise," the Joker giggled. He whistled, in a mimic of my own earlier, and my rottweilers released the Joker's men, bounding toward us. The Joker suddenly jerked me out of the way, and he let out a strange growl from the back of his throat, baring his teeth at my puppies.

Buddy, Prince, and Scout skidded to a stop and then turned tail and ran into hiding, whimpering.

"I've, ah, _worked_ with dogs like those," the Joker told me, speaking loudly so that everyone else heard him as well. He reached into my jacket pocket and took out the keys for the handcuffs. "And you won't, ah, be needing these, _De_-tective."

I saw Stephens over by Gordon, helping him get to his feet. Seeing Ramirez making her way toward the Joker, I reacted.

I lifted my hands and grabbed the Joker's face. Slamming my head against his, I felt a burst of pain in my forehead, but I ignored it as I pulled out of the Joker's slacking grasp. Retreating from him, I didn't notice one of his men coming up behind me.

He grabbed me around the waist and pressed a cold barrel to my head.

"No," the Joker shouted, taking his hand away from where I had hit him. "I was her _alive_."

"Good job, Joker," I smirked at him. "Now I know that you won't kill me, and-."

"Shut your mouth," the Joker growled. "Just because I won't kill you doesn't mean I won't _hurt_ you." He caught sight of Gordon and Stephens headed toward him. "Dare to, ah, to approach me, _Com_-missioner?" The Joker snapped his gloved fingers – still managing a good snap somehow – and two of his men went to face them.

Ramirez attempted to reach the Joker, but his fourth man got in her way.

The Joker wandered about the room, scanning the crowd. The guests made a sort of pathway as he went. You would think that a few of them could handle him, but others' fear gave people power.

"Ah, I was _looking_ for you, Jason." The Joker lunged forward and grabbed a black-haired man who appeared to be in his mid-forties. He dragged him back to the open circle, pointing my gun at the DA's head.

"This is simple, Detective," the Joker said, seriously. "Either you come with me, or, ah, the new DA dies. Thirty seconds and counting to choose."

I began counting in my head, starting from twenty-three. I stared at Hawkins, waiting for the DA to do something, _anything_. But he looked just like the boy had: _terrorified_.

Before I reached twenty-three, the Joker pulled the trigger, making everyone jump, and a few women shrieked. However, my eyes met the Joker's, and I saw the grin on his face. Hawkins whimpered in the Joker's grasp; the Joker had moved the gun to shoot the DA's foot.

"Wanna put him out of his _misery_, _De_-tective?" the Joker laughed, mockingly.

"All right, Joker," I said, loud enough so he could hear me over his laughter. "Let him go and _don't kill him_."

The Joker's laughter cut off in them idle, and he glared at me for a moment. He had recognized my tone, the same tone I had used when I ordered him not to kill Dean.

However, since we were in public, I couldn't tease him about my tone nor could he hold the glare for very long.

The Joker smiled and gave his henchman a nod. His man shoved me forward, and the Joker released Hawkins. I collided into the Joker who caught me, spinning me around before he put an arm around my waist.

His four men surrounded us, retreating from their cop, as we backed toward the refreshment table. I tried to fight the Joker, but he tightened his grasp on me, switching my gun for his knife and placing his switchblade under my chin as his ultimate threat to behave.

"How 'bout it, ladies and gentlemen?" the Joker asked, loudly. "How 'bout a magic trick? Gordon's new _de_-tective will be my assistant." Two of his clowns grabbed my arms, holding me as the Joker jumped backward onto the table. One of the goons picked me up and then tossed me up to the Joker who caught me. For a moment, I thought he was going to drop me because of my sudden weight, but he grunted and set my feet down on the table before he did.

"Places, boys," the Joker ordered his men, waving them on with a gloved hand, his other still holding his blade to my throat.

"Stop, Joker!" Ramirez shouted, holding her gun at us. Gordon, limping, joined her along with Stephens, their weapons trained on the Joker and me – though not on purpose. Far behind them, Dean, still painted black, held a gun as well, aiming it at the Joker's head, I think.

"It's _just_ a _magic trick_," the Joker complained like a little kid. I looked at the Joker's men who were preparing a table cloth. What was he going to do? He had set up this table on purpose, one being close to the windows where none of the guests could see. "Don't you _like_ magicians, _Com_-missioner?" the Joker asked, giggling. "After all, you've _seen_ what happens in most of my magic tricks. This one is a standard _disappearing_ trick. Boys!" The Joker slapped on a clown mask, and his henchmen tossed the table cloth into the air.

I saw the table cloth move slowly, crawling to a higher altitude. The Joker's switchblade moved away from my throat at a faster speed that was still slower than normal. His hands fell to my waist, and he pressed his head against mine. Behind his mask, he whispered, "Allow me, Shadow."

I blinked and all I could see was white with gray shapes moving beyond it.

A shiver ran through me, and a headache emerged. I glanced at the Joker, and I gasped softly. It was like my vision had been messed up. My right eye saw the Joker, but my left still had the image of the white with gray shapes. But, even as my right vision was stationary, my left moved constantly, flickering here and there.

Even as I watched, the Joker swiped off his mask and pulled out a wireless headset from it. Slipping it over his ear, the Joker cleared his throat. The sound echoed throughout the penthouse, and people gasped. I, however, just lied down on the cold floor, shuddering. I could see – through my right eye – out under the white cloth, seeing people's feet. Slowly, I figured out that we were under the table.

"Hope you, ah, enjoyed that," the Joker said, giggling softly. The giggles echoed loudly throughout the penthouse, and I shivered, feeling like my energy was suddenly being sapped away.

"I find it a, ah, a _shame_ that _I_ didn't get to see it, but…at least I got what I came for."

The Joker looked at me, and I closed my eyes. I expected to see nothing, but instead, I saw myself, lying on the floor, my cheek touching the cold ground. How did this happen?

I saw a purple gloved hand appear in my vision, reaching to touch my face. The moment it touched, I felt the leather against my cheek. I inhaled sharply, feeling a jab of pain in my head. My hand snapped out, grasping the Joker's wrist and clenching it tightly.

"_Com_-missioner Gordon," the Joker said, trying not to let his pain in his voice, "If you want-tah your _de_-tective back, you're gonna have to, ah, to search the city."

"She's still here, Joker. Magic tricks have their limits," Gordon said loudly.

"Really?" the Joker said, in mock surprise. "Search the room then. I'm not gonna stop you."

Agony pulsed through my head, and I clenched the Joker's wrist harder. He grunted and shut off his headset, still watching me.

"Make it stop," I whimpered.

"Sh-sh-sh," the Joker hushed me, reaching with his other hand to pat my face.

I opened my eyes, and for a moment, all I could see was the color green.

The Joker stiffened. "What is this?"

I knew the answer. "Neutral energy, the Riddler's stuff."

"Get out of here, Shadow," he ordered.

I tried, but I couldn't move my shadow. It was stuck on something. "I can't…"

"No one is using the little instrument. Scarecrow has it."

"My shadow can't move, Heath."

The Joker clapped his hand over my mouth. "Not while on duty, Shadow," he reminded me.

"Sorry…" I winced. "Get me out of here, Joker."

"I will," he promised, "I will. Just give me a sec-."

I felt us shadow, and we were outside, on the pavement besides the SUV. "How'd you do that?" I asked.

"I didn't. You did." The Joker pried open my hand on his wrist, and then, he picked me up, cradling me.

"I did _not_ shadow, Joker," I insisted. "_You_ did."

The Joker tried to get his keys, ignoring me, but it was difficult while he held me. With my head pounding, I slipped my hand under his arm and took out his keys from his pant pocket. I unlocked the backdoor, and the Joker gently put me in.

"Wait, my Sentra," I said.

"No, can't," the Joker interrupted me. "The cops at the MCU would, ah, see the car driving away when you're supposed to be at this lame party."

"I thought you were enjoying it." A smile crept upon the Joker's face, and I rubbed my forehead. "Why did you threaten the boy?"

"_Don't_ question me while, ah, I'm working, Shadow," he growled at me, and then he was gone.

I lied back, not caring if the door was open. My head hurt, and I felt like all my energy had been sapped from me. I couldn't even lift a finger, but I could breathe just fine. And my double vision was making me dizzy.

"Well, well, look-."

"Who we have here."

Oh no, Query and Echo were here. Were they going to kill me or kidnap me? I had a feeling that it was more on the latter, despite the fact that the Joker was pulling that one off nicely.

"No smart remarks?" Query asked.

I didn't bother shaking my head, especially when my neck had suddenly stiffened like I was dead.

"This should be easy then," Echo said with a grin.

"Just like Edward said," Query agreed. Her smirk tempted me into kicking her in the face, but of course, I couldn't move.

They pulled me out of the car, and I felt the leather seat rub against the back of my neck. Query grabbed my legs while Echo prepared to get a grip under my shoulders. I feared that Echo would simply let my upper body fall and hit my head against the pavement. I was lucky she proved to be strong enough to keep my head safe.

"Let's go, Echo," Query said, softly, "We need to-."

"Get moving before the clown returns, I know," Echo finished, rolled her eyes.

"Wait, you forgot to-."

"Blindfold her, oops." They placed me on the sidewalk gently – thankfully – and Echo produced a blindfold that she also tied over my ears so that their voices were muffled. Query seemed to argue with Echo as they lifted me and started moving again. However, I was distracted by the sight I saw through the Joker's eyes.

He was looking at himself, except his double was standing on a table, waving his arms around. The other man had on the exact mask that the Joker had slapped on his face, and the man had basically the same clothing. I was confused until I realized that Crane had warned me about the double and the magic trick.

I saw the Joker's hand raise into my double vision, and there was a gun resting easily in his grasp. His finger moved, pulling the trigger. The Joker's double took the hit in the chest, flying off the table and landing on the floor, out of view.

"Shadow! Hey, Shadow! Speak to me, girl!" Someone ripped off the blindfold, and I opened my eyes, seeing Teresa's blurry face. I blinked to clear my vision, and I could just barely see Crane's face hovering beyond my friend's.

"Why didn't you fight them back?" Teresa asked me.

"I couldn't move," I told her, "And I still can't."

"Paralyzed?" Crane asked, kneeling down beside me. "Can you move anything?"

"No, nothing." A sharp pain pulsed through my head and made its way down my spine. I winced, inhaling sharply.

"Let's get you to the car," Teresa said. "Who left you with the car door open? If it was that _smiling clown_, I'll-."

"Not do anything to him," Crane cut her off, sharply than he probably meant to. Teresa stared at him, and I would have too if I wasn't trying to avoid making the strange pain worse.

I whimpered as Crane picked me up, cradling me gently. "Men had their uses," I murmured, wincing.

"You'd be surprised how useful we can be," Crane answered me. Then, he looked at me, sheepishly. "Oh, was I not supposed to hear that? Pretend I didn't say anything then."

I couldn't stop the smile from breaking out on my face. Crane grinned, having only glimpsed the smirk. So few times that I had seen and talked to him yet he seemed to have plenty of time to "research" me and my personality.

I closed my eyes as Crane put me in the back of Teresa's car. Teresa refused to put me back in the SUV, and she claimed she had to talk to my "smiling clown" about leaving me alone like that.

"In the elevator, boys," I heard the Joker say. Seeing through his eyes, I saw his four clowns standing around, bewildered. It looked like they were no longer at the party but on a rather quiet floor.

The Joker let off a gunshot. "Don't make me say it again," he growled, thoroughly impatient.

One of the clowns jumped to push the down button, but the Joker met him there first.

"You and I aren't, ah, going _down_," the Joker growled at the clown. "You three, get down to the SUV," he ordered. "Little Shaun and I have something to dis-_cuss_."

The three clowns nodded and hurried into the elevator once it arrived. Once the doors closed, the Joker grabbed the back of Shaun's neck and led him down the hallway.

"You're a _moron_," the Joker yelled in Shaun's ear. "Choosing a man like _that_ to pretend to be me!" He threw him to the floor, and as Shaun rolled to face him, the Joker flicked open his switchblade.

"I'm sorry, boss," Shaun said quickly, crawling backwards away from the menacing figure that approached him.

"You apologize _now_?"

"I didn't know that, that _this _was what you had in mind, boss."

The Joker leapt forward and grabbed the front of Shaun's shirt, lifting him slightly. "Did I _ask_ you to, ah, to be a mind-reader?" he demanded.

"Sorry, boss, I didn't think-."

"You're not _supposed _to think. You're supposed to _assume_ that I'd do something like that. Look at how _Peter's_ survived this long!"

Sweat dripped down Shaun's face. "I won't make that mistake again, boss," he promised.

"Of course you won't, chap." The Joker yanked him to his feet and then still holding his shift, ran him toward the window. "You don't get a second chance with me!" The Joker didn't bother shooting the window, he simply threw Shaun at it.

"Shaun's scream rung in my ears, and for a few minutes, I only saw the blackness behind my eyelids. Then, my vision returned to the Joker's.

He was staring at himself in the reflecting doors of the elevator, riding it down to the lobby where his men might be waiting, if they hadn't obeyed his order to get to the SUV. I saw nothing different in the Joker's appearance. His makeup had smudged from his work, and his suit was slightly out of sorts but that was it.

The Joker ran his hand through his green-tinted hair, and then, he looked startled. Even I was startled. The Joker blinked, almost unable to comprehend what he was seeing, but I believed and understood it right off the bat.

The Joker's eyes had lost their brown color to the color of his signature jacket.

The look of shock on his face would have been funny but not at that moment.

The elevator doors opened, and the Joker stepped out into the lobby. The moment he exited, someone grabbed him and pulled him into the shadows, slamming him against the wall. A black man – Dean – appeared in his vision, holding a gun in his other hand. "What the _hell_ did you do with her?" Dean demanded.

"Oh no," I whispered.

"Whoa!" the Joker said, shoving Dean off him. "Who do, ah, you _think_ you are?"

"Teresa," I said, panicking. "In the lobby, the Joker's seen Dean. Get him out of there."

"Which one? Dean or the smiling-."

"The clown, Teresa!" I yelled. "_Move!_"

Dean continued to glare at the Joker, though surprise flickered across his brown eyes when he had seen the Joker's suddenly purple eyes. "Where is she?" he demanded, angrily.

"Who?" the Joker asked, innocently. Dean punched him, knocking him down to the ground. Then, Dean went over, grabbed the back of his jacket and yanked him up, punching him again.

The Joker scrambled on the ground, trying to get back to his feet, but Dean came after him, letting out a gunshot. Dean grabbed him, and the Joker's fist connected with his jaw.

As Dean fell to the ground, the Joker laughed. "Think you can handle me, boy?" the Joker mocked. My heart skipped a beat. Did he figure out that the black man was Dean?

Then, as the Joker skipped toward Dean, Teresa appeared right in front of him. "Let's go, Mister J," she said, grabbing his tie and yanking him in the direction of the door. The Joker coughed as Teresa nearly choked him with his tie, but he went with her, only looking back to see Dean picking himself up.

"I _swear_ if you _hurt_ her," Dean shouted after the Joker.

"I'd like to, ah, to see what you'd do," the Joker laughed at him, and then he was out the door with Teresa. "I was _busy_," he growled at Teresa.

"_You've_ got a sick _girlfriend_ to take care of, clown boy!" Teresa snapped at him. Then, she recoiled from him. "Why are your eyes purple?"

"Ask Shadow," the Joker growled. He looked around and saw that the SUV was gone. "I left her in the-."

"SUV and she was nearly taken by the Riddler's girls," Teresa yelled at him, smacking him across the face. He jerked and glared at her. "We have her in the back," Teresa said, turning away and heading toward the BMW.

I opened my eyes, and I saw Teresa's angry expression as she opened the passenger's door. The Joker came to the backseat, and he slid in. Blood was coming from the corner of his mouth from where Dean had hit him, but he ignored it as he looked at me. I shivered as I caught sight of those purple eyes.

"Are you okay?" the Joker asked me, his anger forgotten.

"I can't move anything," I told him. "Whatever the Riddler was doing with that neutral energy, it sapped my energy so I can't do anything except lay here and breathe."

"Breathing's good," he said, and I grinned at how bluntly he said it. The Joker shifted and then lifted my head so that it was resting on his lab.

"Hi," I said, smiling up at him. He rolled his eyes as he pulled off one of his gloves before he slid his hand through my hair. I felt the car move, and I glanced to the front to see that Crane was headed away from the penthouse.

The Joker reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone. He yanked off the wireless headset and dialed a number on his phone before placing it to his ear. I watched him, my eyes drooping as his fingers massaged my head. I sighed, and the Joker looked at me, grinning. He knew that he had all the power at the moment, the controlling puppy.

An expression of confusion crossed the Joker's face, and he snapped the cell phone closed.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Peter usually answers right away," the Joker said, "I've never gotten his answering tone before."

"Where is he?"

"He's supposed to be driving the SUV to the apartment."

* * *

**D: Duh duh duh duhhh, duh duh duh duhhh...**

**Joker: Stop _that?!_**

**D: Why so irritated, Puppy?**

**Joker: I'm, ah, _warning_ you! *clicks open switchblade***

**D: Just say the line since NxS isn't here still.**

**Joker: *eyeroll, growls* Don't forget to review.  
**


	54. Chapter 54

**D: *singing to self* La lalalalalaaaa! No life for me! It sucks to be _sick_. Oh, ok, here's chapter 54.**

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_This doesn't feel like a car,_ I thought when I awoke. I turned my head and came face-to-face with a sleeping Joker. I could hear his slow, deep breathing, and I felt his hot breath on my neck. I looked around and recognized my bedroom. _Why are we at my apartment?_ It didn't make sense for a few moments. Last I remember, we were in Teresa's car, driving away from the party. The Joker had kidnapped me from Gordon. Why would we go to my apartment when that would be the first place Gordon would look?

I stared blankly at the ceiling, trying to remember last night. It came slowly to me. I had fallen asleep in the car and woken up when Crane had parked in front of Teresa's apartment. By then, whatever the Riddler's girls had put in me had faded, and I could move. Nonetheless, the Joker had carried me into the apartment and put me in a chair while he and Crane pulled out the couch bed. Of course, while we waited for Teresa and Crane to fall asleep in their bedroom, the Joker and I talked about old times, middle school times in low voices so that nothing personal was revealed about Heath, and then, the Joker decided to use my shadow and took us to my apartment to _tumble_ me.

Which explained the different ceiling from the one I fell asleep under because once the Joker was done with me, he had taken us back to Teresa's apartment, but apparently, in his sleep, he had brought us back.

I felt something move on my hip, and I looked to see the Joker's hand, sliding up and down my leg. I took a few moments to stop myself from giggling or moaning before I called his name. "Heath..."

The Joker didn't answer, still deep in sleep. His hand, however, moved up, slipping underneath my tank top, but I grabbed it before it moved past my belly button.

"Heath," I said, harshly.

"Hm..." His slow, deep breathing quickened a tad, showing that he was waking.

"Heath!" I hit him in the head.

The Joker grunted, raising his hand to where I hit him. I pulled away, but he suddenly grabbed me, pulling me back. "Not yet," he murmured sleepily, burying his face into my neck.

"Heath, why are we at my apartment?" I demanded.

"Cause we are," he murmured. I boxed his ear, and he jerked up, his hand cupping his ear. "Ow, what was _that_ for?" he demanded, suddenly awake.

"I asked you a question," I snapped.

"And I answered you."

"Not with an answer I _wanted_."

"Be more specific then." The Joker shifted, getting into a sitting position. "We shadowed here."

"We're not _supposed_ to be here. You _kidnapped_ me! Thisi would be the first place Gordon would look!"

The Joker leaned over me, stroking my cheek with the back of his hand. "Sh-sh-sh," he hushed me, "Gordon already, ah, checked here."

"Fine, how did we shadow here because I know _I_ didn't do it."

"That's because, ah, _I_ did."

"You can't shadow," I argued.

A smile curled over the Joker's lips. "You don't remember explaining what happened to me last night?"

A blush crept on my face, making the Joker's grin widen with amusement. "I was _busy_..."

"_We_ were busy," the Joker corrected, licking his lips. "Since you don't remember, ah, _I'll_ explain it back to you. It's simple. Somehow, ah, you put your shadow, should we say, _inside_ me, giving me your ability to shadow temporarily. In exchange, you also gave me a pounding headache while you were about to, ah, to see through my eyes. Does that seem, ah, _fair_ to you?"

I grinned at the mock anger in his expression.

Then, my cell phone rang from the nightstand. I instantly fought the Joker for it, but since he was stronger - and already up - he grabbed it.

"He's calling _again_," the Joker said, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"Who?" I asked as he stored my phone in his pant pocket. When he didn't answer, I reached for his pocket, but he snapped a hand on my wrist, leaning over me with his weight on his elbows.

"Don't worry about it-tah," the Joker responded. Then, he bounced off the bed, grabbing his button-up shirt. He slipped it on and turned to face me, not bothering with buttoning up, his arms wide. "A whole day to, ah, to ourselves. What are we going to do?"

"Shower," I said plainly, giving him a critical look.

The Joker turned his head slightly and narrowed his eyes, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "You or me?"

"Both, but you can go first."

He sniffed, giving me an insulted look. I simply ignored him, rolling off the bed and going into my bureau. I threw a set of clothing at him. It was yet another set that went with his purple jacket.

"Are you planning on re-doing your makeup today?" I asked him, holding up a small bag that held his warpaint.

"Depends on what we're, ah, doing today."

"Showers," I replied, tossing the bag to him. The Joker glared at me, and I waved at him, dismissing him.

"And I suck up to this, why?" the Joker asked himself as he left the bedroom.

I only smiled and went into the kitchen to pour myself a bowl of cereal.

The news on the Internet was intense when I got to it. Apparently, someone at the party had a camera and had caught the Joker on tape. I watched as the Joker slapped on his mask, and his men threw up the table cloth.

"The Joker took Detective Jane McKinley with what he called a 'magic trick'," the news reporter said. The table cloth dropped to show the Joker still standing on the table with his mask on. I narrowed my eyes. His double, as Crane had warned me.

"However, according to this video, someone who looked like the Joker shot him from across the room," the reporter continued. I watched as I saw a replay of what I had seen through the Joker's eyes. The video moved over to the dead Joker to reveal him as a fake Joker.

"The Joker's 'magic trick' had proven to be true magic," the reporter said, "Some guest who saw the second Joker claimed him to be the real Joker who killed one of his men who had impersonated him. Batman arrived too late and was almost caught..."

"It looks so, ah, _pathetic_ on TV." I jumped and turned my head to see the Joker laughing. "I wanted to, ah, to see that on TV," he said before going into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

I sighed and heard my cell phone go off. The Joker opened the door to toss it to me.

"It's Raven," he told me before closing the door again.

"_Shadow, where did you and Mister J go?"_ Teresa demanded as soon as I picked up the phone.

"My apartment."

"_The police could be there!"_

"Mister J says they already came. Don't worry about it."

"_How does he plan on letting the police find you?"_

"I don't know. He doesn't plan things."

"_He planned the magic trick."_

"Let me rephrase that. He doesn't plan _large_ things. A simple magic trick can be planned."

"_You have to get back to the MCU."_

"I'm supposed to be kidnapped, Teresa."

"_You escaped the Joker once before, Shadow."_

"I know that!"

Teresa sighed. _"What are you doing?"_

"Waiting for Mister J."

"_Why?"_

"So that I can take a shower. Do I have to give you all the details of my life?"

"_No, I'm just worried that the Joker might have ruined your identity."_

"He _kidnapped_ me, Teresa."

"_Think, Shadow. You got out once with little trouble. The Joker would expect you to try to escape again. Now, unless you want to tell Gordon you had a horizontal monster mash with the Joker to bride him into letting you go, you have to be convincing in your appearance and manners to prove you had a difficult time trying to get away from him."_

I felt a blush rise upon my face. "Horizontal monster mash? That's an unique name for it."

"_All right, you, Mister J, Jon, and I need to talk."_

"In person?" I asked, just to be funny.

"_Yes,_ in person_,"_ Teresa snapped, angrily. I winced. _"Once the clown's done and dressed, bring him back to my apartment."_ She hung up, and I winced again. She didn't seem to be very happy with me.

I went into my bedroom to get back into the same clothing as last night. Apparently, I couldn't change because Teresa would freak out about it. She could be so grumpy.

I played Spider Soltaire on my MacBook while I waited for the Joker to finish his shower. When he came out, he was completely dressed and painted, grinning with wet hair, and his arms were out wife at his sides.

I returned his smile too slow. His vanished, and he bounded over to me, tilting his head.

"What did, ah, Raven want?" the Joker asked, giving me a critical look.

"We're meeting her and Jon at their apartment. She's rather upset with us because we left."

"I wasn't going to, ah, to _tumble_ you in _their_ place!"

"I know," I said, waving my hand at him to tell him to control his anger. "Nonetheless, she's not happy."

"She's not our mother."

"I didn't say she was," I sighed, rubbing my forehead.

The Joker cleared his throat. "Headache?" he asked, his anger gone suddenly.

"A small one," I answered. I stood up, and he held out his arms to the sides. Smiling, I stepped into the Joker's embrace and kissed him gently. "I love you, always will."

The Joker grinned and then pouted. "Do we _have_ to, ah, to meet Scarecrow and Raven?" he complained.

"Stop whining," I scolded him, playfully. "Might as well get it over with now." Then, I shadowed to Teresa's apartment, taking the Joker with me."

Crane was sitting in an armchair, reading a book, but he looked up when the Joker and I appeared. "She's in the kitchen," he whispered, mysteriously. "I suggest that Shadow goes in _alone_." He empathized the last word heavily, making the Joker glare at him.

I actually smiled as the Joker went to sit on the couch. Crane's hair was wet as well. It made me conscious of the fact that I was in a room with people who had taken showers already.

"Shadow!" I jumped, spinning around so fast that I tripped over my own feet. I managed to catch myself, but being startled had been enough to make my heart race.

Teresa raced over to me and embraced me. I instantly noticed that her hair was wet too. She smelled nice, fresh and clean. "I'm sorry, Shadow," she apologized, "I shouldn't have gotten mad at you."

"But you can get mad at my puppy?" I demanded, playfully.

She looked over my shoulder at the Joker, and when I turned, he had widened his dark eyes to make his puppy impression. Teresa laughed and went over to him. The Joker stood up reluctantly and just stood there while Teresa hugged him. A low growl came from the back of his throat.

"Be nice," I scolded him. He growled at me and then crushed Teresa in a bear hug. Teresa squeaked, and the Joker burst out laughing, releasing her and sitting down again.

"No wonder you two, ah, are friends," the Joker giggled. "You're both good _squeakers_."

Teresa retreated to Crane while I went over and boxed the Joker's ear. He continued to laugh, pulling on my arm and dragging me down onto the couch where he pulled me into his arms. Crane held Teresa in a more polite manner, sideways on his lap.

"So you called a, ah, a meeting?" the Joker asked.

"About how to give back Shadow, yes," Teresa said.

The Joker pouted. "Why?"

"Because we need to do it in a way that her-."

"No, I meant why do, ah, we have to give her back. Gordon doesn't own her."

"Either do you."

The Joker took my hand and slipped something on my finger. "_Now_ I do."

I looked at it to see a black ring. While I stared at it, it changed colors. "A _mood_ ring?" I asked, bewildered.

"Not just any mood ring," the Joker insisted, turning it on my finger. "_My_ mood ring."

"And does it tell your mood?" I asked him. "Or does your mood change so quickly that this ring can't register it?" He narrowed his eyes, and his tongue flickered out, irritatedly. "You do realize that mood rings just change color according to the temperature of your finger. It doesn't really tell you your mood."

The Joker growled. "Do you like it or, ah, not?" he demanded.

"Of _course_ I do, puppy." I patted his cheek and then played with the ring. "So Teresa, now that the Joker officially _owns_ me-."

"That wasn't an engagement ring."

"Your point is?"

"He doesn't _own_ you."

"Does it really matter?" Crane demanded, rolling his eyes with irritation. "You didn't call this meeting to discuss whether or not the mood ring is an engagement ring. Who _cares_ how-?"

"_We_ care," the Joker and I protested in unison.

"All right, does it really have to be something we fight over then? The Joker gave Shadow something, and she accepted it. It's a mood ring, something ordinary but something extremely important, like the ring I gave you years ago, Teresa."

"Jon!" Teresa exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Wait," I said, "You gave her a-."

"Never mind," Crane cut me off, adding a dismissal wave of his hand. "It's not what we hear to talk about. _Now_, back to business. We're giving Shadow back, _end of story_," he empathized as the Joker opened his mouth to protest. "We need to choose the story behind her getting away."

"I could just-."

"No, it's bad enough that your kidnapping her has shaken her identity," Teresa said.

"They're going to, ah, to find out _anyway_."

"We're trying to _preserve_ her identity as one of Gordon's top detectives."

The Joker snorted as I adjusted myself, getting into a more comfortable position.

"I liked the monster mash idea," I murmured, quietly.

"That would make me, ah, sound like a rapist," the Joker protested. "I'm a _terrorist_!" I grinned at him, and he frowned. "Why can't we just..." He motioned with his hands, waving them outwards. "..._Blow_ her cover?"

"_I'd_ be fine with that," I said.

"Shadow, you're a sensitive person," Teresa argued.

"Not when she doesn't, ah, _want_ to be," the Joker said.

"I wasn't talking to you. Shadow, imagine how the people at the MCU would feel if you betrayed them openly. Think about Ramirez, Stephens, and most of all, Gordon."

I brought my legs up to my chest, and I hugged myself. The Joker held me tightly, but I couldn't feel his warmth. The imagined guilt clawed at my insides. If I had been alone with either Teresa or the Joker, I would have allowed myself to cry.

"All right," I said, my voice shaky as I tried to control my emotions. "What am I going to do? I can't have Mister J let me go. He can't reveal the truth. The only option is for me to have runaway with him chasing me. It would be the only convincing scene, if the Joker was chasing afte me."

Crane grinned, his icy blue eyes glittering mysteriously. "You have the right idea, Shadow. Let's take that as the base and go from there."

"Are we suddenly construction workers?" Teresa asked. "We're making a base before we put the walls up?"

"If you put it that way, yes."

* * *

**D: Yay for chapter 54!**

**Joker: You should be, ah, typing up the other characters. You're over, ah, what? _sixty_ chapters now?**

**D: Thanks for telling the readers, Joker.**

**Joker: *smirks* Glad to, ah, to be of service. Keep reviewing!  
**


	55. Chapter 55

**D: You guys are still here?! Geez, who loves this story? Wow, if I wasn't so distracted by the sequel...oops! *facepalm***

**Joker: *bouncing and clapping hands* YES! I didn't say it so you can't yell at me!**

**D: Shut up, Puppy, or I'll kill you and ruin the idea for a freakin' sequel.**

**Joker: *pouts* Not nice, are you...**

**D: Since when did you become Yoda?**

**Joker: Since we discovered, ah, that the guy who played Luke Skywalker does the voice for me on the cartoon Batman.**

**D: *growls* You _had_ to tell them. Did you even think of how embarassed I might be over that?**

**Joker: *shakes head, grinning wickedly***

**D: Say the line before I rip your head off.**

**Joker: On with the story! *runs away*  
**

* * *

I appeared by my Sentra, and I stood there for a few moments, staring at the MCU.

Even with all day being prepared for this moment, I was suddenly scared. My heartbeat raced uncomfortably, and drips of sweat ran down my face. I quickly wiped my face with my sleeve, adjusting my jacket. It was a cool night, yet I felt really cold, shivering as a cool breeze blew in my sweaty face.

I continued to stand there, wishing I could shadow back to the Joker, but I knew he would scold me big time for being a coward. Besides my cell phone, I couldn't contact him once I got back into the MCU. He had remained at Teresa and Crane's apartment with them.

I shook my head vigorously, urging myself to go, but my feet seemed rooted to the spot. I even found my hand on my car door handle, which I nearly had to pry my fingers open to get it off.

"C'mon, Shadow, you can do this," I told myself. "You know what you have to say. You know your story. You've been through worse situations." I took a step forward, feeling a pulse of cold fear run through me, yet I took another step.

Gradually, my pace sped up to the norm, and I headed up the back stairs into the MCU. Using my key, I got in and felt my body tense. I felt myself meld into the shadows, and I went through the MCU, searching for anyone.

It was close to eleven thirty at night so I doubted that Gordon would be there, unless he cared enough about his top detective – me – that he would sleep at work. I saw only a few lights on where the nighttime cops were working, but when I checked Gordon, Ramirez, and Stephen's offices, I didn't see them.

Confused, I went back out to look for their cars. Gordon's and Stephen's were parked close to my Sentra, and when I checked in the front, I saw Ramirez's. That made no sense. Where could they be, if their cars were here? Did they have an emergency call to answer or something?

As I turned to head back in, something caught my eye. I spun back and stared at a particular car in the front. My eyes narrowed suspiciously as I recognized it, and I ran inside, heading toward the holding cells.

However, I slowed as I neared the tech room, and as I approached it, I found myself sneaking along the wall, melding into the shadows.

"…I don't want to believe him, Commissioner," Ramirez's voice said from within the room. I stopped by the door, leaning against the wall and taking time to control my breathing as I eavesdropped. "Jane would never-."

"She's been loyal, Anna. That fellow might be trying to set her up. He _is_ one of the Joker's men."

What were they talking about? Did the Joker go behind the scenes and set me up for something? This wasn't like Heath to do something like that to me, but then, he was unpredictable when it came to keeping me close to him.

"That doesn't explain the riddles that were hidden on the Joker's men," Ramirez protested. "The Riddler was involved."

"It makes no sense," Gordon said. I could image him running a hand through his graying hair in thought. "I can't picture the Joker and the Riddler joining forces."

I felt something tap the back of my head, and I slowly turned. Stephens stood behind me, a gun close to my head. His face was solemn as he held up a pair of handcuffs. I just gave him a slight nod of acceptance, surprising him. He put his weapon away and took my arm gently but firmly, leading me into the tech room.

Gordon and Ramirez broke from their conversation as Stephens and I entered. Shock had taken Anna's face, but Gordon looked exhausted and as solemn as Stephens.

"You came back," the Commissioner said, "I suppose with a prepared story."

"Yes," I responded. "I warned you for nearly three months. You shouldn't trust me. I didn't lie to you."

"I just never asked the correct questions." Gordon sighed, taking off his glasses to wipe them on his shirt. "I'm surprised you didn't fight Stephens."

"I owed you all my good behavior after deceiving you about the Joker."

"Only the Joker?" Stephens asked, but Gordon waved a hand at him.

"You're under arrest, Jane, as you are well aware of," the Commissioner said. "But then, you admitted that Jane McKinley is not your real name so I'll call you by the closer to real one. Is that all right with you?"

I shrugged. "Go ahead, Commissioner. I'm not gonna stop you."

"Stephens, put her in the interrogation room for questioning, and Ramirez and I will be right there."

I didn't need any urging, and I knew where the room was so I headed there, Stephens following me. As he unlocked the door, I said, "I know it might not mean anything to you now, Stephens, but I _am_ sorry."

He didn't respond, being too hurt and thoughtful. The door opened, and he waved me inside. I went straight to the table where I sat down with my hands out in plain view. The door closed, and Stephens moved to stand guard before it. Even though he knew I wasn't going to run, it was just a precaution.

A few minutes later, Gordon and Ramirez entered, and the Commissioner took the seat opposite me.

I wondered if he wanted me to start since he watched me for a few moments, his eyes on mine. I just stared back, suddenly curious to find out whether or not he was testing me to see if I would act like the Joker.

"Shadow," Gordon said, and behind him, Ramirez's eyes widened. "I want to ask before we begin. What you told me when you gave one of your credit cards to Ramirez…about not planning on using it against he no matter what…did you mean it?"

"I meant every word," I told him. "I promised you that I would never use Ramirez's mother against her, and I plan to keep to that promise."

"Then what about the promise to the Joker about his name?"

"I plan to keep that one too."

"So you _are_ working for him." It wasn't a question so I simply nodded. "For how long?"

"Since the first time he captured me, nearly three months ago."

"Even before he dropped you from the building?"

"Even before then. One's criminal boss doesn't go around asking his men what their greatest fears are."

Gordon shifted uneasily. Was I unnerving him over how I still held my cool when in reality, I was freaking out inside? "What does he pay you?"

"Nothing. He and I go a long way back."

"So his story with you in his class…"

"Is partially true. We met in sixth grade, like he said, in social studies, Ms. Wood." I figured that I might as well keep some of the Joker's original lie in the story. We met during lunch, not social studies. "A different Wood from my landlady. However, when he described himself, it was actually _me_ he was describing."

Gordon's mouth twitched. "I _thought_ that his description would fit someone like you better rather than him. So he was the one who caused trouble in school while you were the quiet one."

"Class clown," I shrugged.

Gordon looked up at Stephens and then back at me. "Would you care to go more in detail?"

"Yes, I _would_ care."

His mouth twitched again. "Honesty in a criminal. That will always seem strange to me."

"I _will _say this though," I told him, "While we're on the subject of beginnings, I was _forced_ into the life of a criminal to survive where as the Joker went freely."

Gordon nodded and then changed the subject. "When the Joker broke out of the MCU, were you part of that?"

I hesitated, wishing I could say 'no'. "Yes…"

"What was your part?"

"I edited the video. I half-lied to you when I said that I was transferring the program to find the missing film."

"Anything else?" Gordon's eyes seemed to sharpen now that he knew I had been on the Joker's side all this time. It was either that or my expression was _very_ easy to read.

"I helped him get out."

"Did you get his men out too, or did you have someone helping you? Was it Dean?"

I closed my eyes, painfully, but I made the decision not to lie. "Yes, Dean got his friends out."

"Shadow, we are aware of your strange ability of transportation." I opened my eyes and stared at him in shock. "How we found out, I'll not reveal."

I sighed. "Since you know already, it's called shadowing because my name is Shadow."

"Or is it because you use the shadows to teleport and you can become nearly invisible when standing in the shadows?" Ramirez asked, quietly. I looked up and saw the hurt but determined gleam in her eyes. How did I trick these people for so long without making them suspicious when they just needed one hint and they were on me within seconds?

"Those are the basics," I replied, keeping eye contact with her. She broke it after a few moments, unable to meet my calm gaze like I was a demon waiting for her as my prey. Or it could have been because my eyes had turned purple.

"We'll move onto your relationship with the other top criminals," Gordon said, drawing my attention back to him. "Starting with the Penguin."

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts and information. "I met him the same night I met the Joker. I had passed a test to show whether or not the Joker thought I was trustworthy so I went to see the Penguin with him."

"Why?" the Commissioner pressed.

"It seemed like the Joker wanted to set me up in a test of abilities against Catwoman. I think, at least at the time, that the Penguin, Catwoman, and the Riddler were a team, or familiar with one another to the point of remaining out of one another's way."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"The night the Joker was locked up here."

"What about Catwoman?"

"Other than me turning her in once, I don't seem to be on either good or bad terms with her. I saw her at the Riddler's gathering of all the top criminals when the Joker was locked up."

This sparked Gordon's interest, and he leaned forward eagerly to hear more.

"The Riddler wanted to get all the criminals together who want Batman dead," I continued. "That immediately excludes the Joker who enjoys having Batman around. Because I messed up his meeting – and stopped all the criminals from joining together – he hates me and appears to know that I'm with the Joker. And, because I hate him too, I'll tell you his name. Edward Nigma."

Gordon nodded to Ramirez who instantly headed out of the room. It didn't seem like Anna wanted to be in the same room as me. "You knew this?" the Commissioner asked.

"I know about the secret behind what his NigmaTech Box does, and I've tried hinting it to you. I had to do it in a way that wouldn't give me away."

"What's the secret?" Stephens asked, moving around the table so that he could watch my expression.

"Neutral energy, he uses the Box to steal people's IQ, but I feel like it does more than that, like it reveals everyone's secrets to him." I shivered involuntarily.

Gordon nodded. "We'll look out for Nigma. Now what about the other criminals?"

"I've met with Poison Ivy, and she gave me a cure to her poison along with others. She made me fight her henchman, Bane to see if I was strong enough to deal with the male criminals, such as Batman, who rely on strength.

"Mr. Freeze, I've met him at the criminal gathering, but nothing beyond that – as a criminal myself. All my efforts with Mr. Freeze on the force were as true and honest as they possibly could be."

Gordon sat back and rubbed his face. "What about the Scarecrow breakout?" he asked.

I didn't answer, surprised that he had made that connection. Did whoever told him about my ability also mention that I was involved with getting Scarecrow out?

Stephens pressed a button near the wall, and a small screen came down from the ceiling. I looked at it in surprise. Since when was there a readied screen in the interrogation room?

The video from the booth in the Maximum Security Wing was playing, starring me and Teresa defeating the guards. Stephens paused it when Teresa had turned to face me.

"I recognize her as Teresa Doyle, your friend. Who we had believed to be the Joker appears to be you," Gordon said, calmly. I met his gaze and could see the pain in his eyes. "Your hair must have a natural curl."

I nodded. "The Joker made a bet with me, and I lost so he made me wear his jacket on the day of the breakout. I was lucky that you didn't call me in, or you would have recognized his jacket."

Gordon ran a hand through his graying hair. "Fine, Shadow, where are the Scarecrow, Teresa, Dean, and the Joker?"

I shrugged. "Somewhere in the city," I said.

"You've been honest for this long, Shadow. I don't have time for games." His voice betrayed his irritation that he must have held in for some time.

I couldn't stop the insane smile that appeared on my face at that moment. "I've been good, Commissioner. It's time I give in to my bad side."

"No, Jane," Gordon argued, his hand reaching out to touch mine. This startled me. He kept his hand on mine, and I looked up to meet his eyes. "No one has to give into their bad side."

"So…you admit everyone has one." I spoke quietly, not believing what I was saying.

The Commissioner ignored what I said. "Where are they, Shadow?"

"Raven's with Scarecrow, the Joker probably looking for me, and Dean, I don't know."

"Why don't you call him?" Stephens asked.

I reached for my cell phone and then stopped, my eyes narrowing. Gordon was watching me closely. He motioned for me to continue, but I just took my cell and slid it across the table to Gordon.

"_You_ call him," I said, "His number is in there."

Gordon took the phone and flipped it open. He found Dean's number and dialed it. Then, he put it to his ear. After a few rings, he handed it to me. I sighed and took it.

I got Dean's answering tone. "Hi, Dean. It's Shadow. I have to work tonight, and I was wondering if you would mind picking me up. The boss has my car. I wondered where you were so if you could call me back, that would be great. Bye." I snapped it shut.

Gordon held out his hand, and I gave my phone to him. "Stand up," he said as he pushed back his chair. "Ramirez will search you." I obeyed and moved away from the table, taking off my jacket and tossing it to Stephens.

Ramirez entered and searched me, avoiding my gaze. As she searched, I tired to sneak a look at my watch. Nearly midnight, that I had to keep in mind. I took off my watch and handed it to Ramirez.

"It's not _just_ a watch," I told her when I saw her confused expression. I was glad that the Joker had taken back my mood ring; I didn't want to lose it.

Stephens handcuffed my wrists behind me, and he turned me to the door. However, I turned slightly to look at Gordon and Ramirez.

"I warned you, Gordon," I said, "You shouldn't trust me." I turned away before I could see his expression change and headed out the door with Stephens clasping my arm.

* * *

**Joker: Hello! The Joker's here to, ah, to tell the dear readers that D isn't capable of, ah, of comin' to say the line so dear ol' Mistah J is here in her place to say...dramatic drum roll, please... "REVIEW, DAGNABBIT!!"** **MWHAHAHAHAHAHA!! *runs away again***


	56. Chapter 56

**D: Hey, sorry, I was busy with lots of essays and projects. Senior year looks so _easy_...except when you go through it yourself. Whatever, I think I've got time to relax before the next load comes along. Here's chapter 56, you reader-people you!**

* * *

The holding cells could be quite uncomfortable, especially when you could only be in one position. I sat on my metal bench with my handcuffs behind my back. The handcuffs were attached to the metal bars so that I couldn't shadow away. Stephens had made sure that they were touching my skin to make sure I couldn't move away.

I wished I had my watch or a clock. This was the first time I had officially been captured, and I couldn't even use my ability to get out. It was amazing how the Joker could sit still on the bench, but then, he didn't have his hands cuffed behind him.

I sighed, wondering how much time had passed. Sitting there quietly in one position was torture. My shoulders ached as I sat there.

I seemed to have endless time to just think, but I didn't want to. A few times, I thought the bars were edging closer to me. It could have been because I was tired, but I had the fear that it was because I didn't do well locked up.

I know I wasn't claustrophobic, but I had never been behind bar before. It scared me. The bars were closing in on me gradually; my heart pounded; I felt feverish. Sweat dripped down my face, and a headache emerged. I closed my eyes, feeling nauseous, pressing my forehead to the cold bars.

I sat there, suffering alone and silent. Wave upon wave of nausea and dizziness washed over me. My head pounded away, my heart threatening to burst from my chest. I shivered, feeling very cold, and the perspiration kept dripping.

All I wanted was for it to _stop_.

The silence in my suffering was broken by a gunshot. It sounded like a fight had broken out somewhere in the MCU, but I couldn't pay attention, a major dizzy spell coming over me.

"No wonder, ah, you couldn't shadow." A weak smile broke out on my face as I opened my eyes. The Joker stalked around my holding cell, jingling keys like he was mocking me. "Hello there," he greeted.

"You took your time," I growled, feeling a wave of nausea.

"Blame it on, ah, the Deanboy," the Joker responded, unlocking the door. He swung it open and bounded inside, coming to lean over me to unlock my handcuffs. "He called me only a, ah, a few minutes ago, being asleep when you called _him_." My handcuffs clicked – I didn't think of it at the time, but I thought that if he had freed me on the outside of the holding cell, I think it would have been easier. However, this was the man who was in love with me; he would've wanted to be close to me as much as possible – and the Joker stepped back. I rubbed my wrists but didn't move to get up.

"Is Gordon or Ramirez-?" I began.

"They're still alive, just out. You cause, ah, more trouble than you're worth, Shadow."

I chuckled, softly. "I just wanted to see if you cared enough to come and get me yourself."

"I owed you, ah, from the last time." The Joker looked at me, his eyes narrowing while he tilted his head to the side. "Don't enjoy being behind bars?" he asked.

"There's a reason why I never got caught before this." I held my head, leaning forward. I moaned involuntarily.

"Shadow?"

"I feel sick…" I felt the Joker's warm hand touch my forehead, and a wave of nausea pulsed through me.

"You _do_ feel warm. Can you stand?"

"I'm dizzy."

"Then, I'll carry you."

"No," I protested as he suddenly lifted me in his arms, "You need to be able to defend yourself."

"I'm sure, ah, Deanboy will help with that." I jumped as I heard loud screams, and the Joker cradled me tightly, chuckling softly.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I brought, ah, Scarecrow and Raven along for good measure." I didn't respond as I pressed my head to his chest.

Teresa appeared when the Joker carried me out of the cell. She had on her black outfit, almost scaring me when I saw her feathered eyemask. My dizziness was messing me up.

"Is she all right?" Teresa asked, concerned.

"She's fine," the Joker replied, curtly. "Did you get her things?"

"Just as you ordered, Mister J." She didn't seem convinced. "Shadow, what's wrong?"

"Not now, Raven," the Joker interrupted. I whimpered when I saw a tall figure with a rag bag as a mask. "It's just Scarecrow, Shadow." I closed my eyes and clung to the Joker's jacket, feeling sick to my stomach.

"Let's go," Scarecrow said, his voice sounded slightly frightening from behind his mask. I closed my eyes as the Joker raced after Raven and Scarecrow.

"Joker!" The Joker skidded to a stop and turned slowly. I opened my eyes slightly to see Gordon down the hallway, holding a gun. "Where do you think you're going?" the Commissioner demanded.

"Home…to take care of my girlfriend." The Joker's eyes narrowed. "Got a problem?"

I felt time slow down, and the Joker dropped my legs. As my feet touched the ground, his other arm tightened around my shoulders to keep me steady. The Joker got his weapon as Gordon pulled the trigger. My eyes widened as the bullet came toward us,. but I knew where it was headed. I shadowed us to the side, letting the bullet pass.

Then, the Joker pulled his trigger, shooting Gordon in the same leg as the night before. Gordon cried out in pain.

Time returned to normal, and the Commissioner collapsed, gripping his leg. The Joker left me to fall to the ground, bounding over and kicking Gordon's gun out of his hand. He crouched and grabbed Gordon's jacket, pulling him up so that they were face-to-face.

"Shoot at Shadow again and you can say goodbye to your wife," the Joker threatened, angrily. His eyes flared with rage as he glared at the Commissioner. "At this rate, breaking you doesn't seem to, ah, to matter much, _Com_-missioner." The Joker threw him to the ground and then came toward me, only to stop and turn ninety degrees to look at Gordon. "I didn't, ah, kill any of your men, Gordon, not tonight. You might want to keep them – and your wife – in mind next time you _dare_ to kill my girl."

The Joker turned back and bent to pick me up. He wasn't aware of Ramirez aiming from around the corner. I quickly snatched his gun out of his hand and fired, catching Ramirez's hand. She cried out in pain as she dropped her weapon.

The Joker peeked over his shoulder and grinned. "That's my girl," he said as he lifted me, cradling me tightly. Then, he headed out of the MCU without looking back to see if anyone was following. It was like he was simply walking away, not caring what happened behind him.

* * *

I couldn't stand by the time we returned to Teresa's apartment. The nausea and dizziness was too much. I had developed a slight fever, but I was sweating like crazy.

I told them that it was dangerous to be in Teresa's apartment since Gordon had recognized her, but the Joker just told me to be quiet and to rest.

I was sick for twelve days, not sleeping well and vomiting anything my friends force-fed me. It was the worst twelve days of my life, being too sick to move on my own. Sleep didn't come easy, and when it did, I was tormented by nightmares that I woke from screaming. I couldn't remember what they were, but I knew they weren't good.

On the thirteenth day, I felt better, but Teresa – almost acting like my mother – urged me to take it easy to make sure I had recovered.

I lied on the couch, my head propped up by a few pillows, a book in my hand. I wasn't reading it though, just staring at the white corner by the ceiling, my mind wandering.

I heard the apartment door open and the patter of paws. Next I knew I had three black heads beside the couch, barking loudly. I yelped in surprise and then started laughing.

"Hi there, pups," I greeted my happy rottweilers. Scout pushed through Buddy and Prince, putting her front paws on the edge of the couch, licking my face. I laughed as Prince and Buddy fought Scout for me.

I looked over the fighting pups to see the Joker walking wearily toward the couch. His makeup couldn't hide how tired he was, having stayed up with me for nearly two weeks.

"Though they'd, ah, cheer you up," the Joker said quietly with a weary grin.

"Thank you, Mistah J," I said, knowing that Teresa was in the kitchen. The Joker nodded and then proceeded into the bedroom. I watched him go, wondering if he would try to catch up on some sleep.

After playfully shoving the rottweilers out of my way, I went into the kitchen and pulled myself up on the counter. "You're going to drown me in soups, Teresa," I remarked when I saw what she was cooking.

"You should still be on the couch," she told me without looking at me.

"It's nice to walk around every once in awhile." I licked my lips, a habit I had started since my lips tended to dry too fast lately. "I need to talk to you."

"Then talk."

"And I need this conversation to remain between you and me unless I say otherwise."

Teresa finally turned her attention to me. "You're serious about this, aren't you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. I nodded. She sighed and then said, "All right, what's on your mind?"

"My freedom," I responded. She looked startled, like she had expected something. "Why are you surprised? I don't have to hide my real identity."

Teresa shook her head. "Don't worry about my surprise. I'm just surprised…that you would have put it that way…called it your 'freedom'." She looked away for a second, and I knew something was on her mind.

"What is it, Teresa?" I asked.

"Nothing." She looked at me, the surprise gone, and I frowned. She seemed to ignore my irritation when she said, "Actually, she still have to hide it, Sara."

"I meant my criminal identity," I growled, deciding to push the unknown subject some other time.

"I was only playing with you. I knew what you meant." Teresa grinned. "What about your freedom, Sara?"

"I can go with Mister J!" I exclaimed.

"No need to get excited, Sara. I'm pretty sure you haven't given me the point of this conversation."

"My point is…I don't know my power's limits, and I need to know before I partner with the Joker."

"Why is this secret?" Teresa asked, curiously.

"I don't want the Joker knowing that I plan to join him."

"So, you want me to help you to find your limits." Teresa gave me a calculating look. "And perhaps little training in the criminal ways."

"That comes naturally. I've been a criminal for twelve years."

"Doesn't hurt to fight against other criminals every now and then." Teresa got a glass of water from the faucet and handed it to me. "You drink, I talk. I've got an idea." I glared at her. "Drink, Sara," she ordered, "Fluids help you get better." I snorted, but took a sip.

"What limits of your ability are you aware of?"

I thought for a moment. "I need a shadow, no matter what size or shape."

"Can it be yours?" Teresa asked. I shrugged. "That's one thing to test." She reached into a drawer and took out a pad and pen. I couldn't help rolling my eyes. "I _saw_ that. Limits?" she promoted.

"I don't know about distance, but I seem to be able to shadow to places I haven't seen before. If I'm shadowing with someone, I can shadow to the place they are picturing in their heads."

"What if they just thought of the name?" Teresa asked.

"I don't know." Teresa scribbled something down. "I can't shadow from something that's touching me."

"We can test those limits," she stated. Then, she looked at me, hard. "How _does_ your ability work?"

"The only way I can explain it is that my conscience splits in two. There's my original and then there's what I call my shadow. I move my shadow around, whether it's instantly or normal speed depends on whether I'm _shadowing_ or _being_ a shadow."

My friend nodded, understandingly. She jotted down a few things on her pad. "Then, there will be three parts to your training as the Joker's partner, parts that I can actually _help_ with," she told me. "First, there's testing your limits. Second, training you, getting you in shape again and toning your senses. Anyone can get better senses; I'm just lucky to have supernatural ones."

I smirked and then became curious. "What's the third part?"

"We'll keep that a secret until we're done with the first two. In the meantime, what will you do to keep this secret from Mister J? And do you mind if I bring Jon into this?"

"If you need Jon, tell him but make him promise not to tell Mister J."

"I promise."

"As for me, there's one thing you learn easily from being around the Joker as much as I have, and that's lying. What I'm going to do is basically a form of lying, but it's called _acting_."

Teresa looked at me strangely. "He told me once that he didn't like liars."

I grinned. "Not when they use his favorite _form_ of lying."

* * *

It was pitch black. There was no source of light. I couldn't see anything, not even my hands that I help up an inch before my eyes.

I'll admit I wasn't ready for the bright lights.

"Ow," I said, covering my eyes as sharp pain shot through them.

"Did you want a warning next time?" Crane asked, amused in the mic in my ear.

"I hate you…"

"I'm aware of that."

"Be nice, Jon," Teresa snapped, and I heard him punch him – in the arm, I assumed. "All right, Shadow, as you are aware of, you're in a shed full of lights, coming from every angle, except one. This creates a small shadow of yours to try to use to shadow out of the shed."

"The lights hurt," I complained. The light was giving me a headache.

"Close your eyes. See if you can sense where your shadow is and try shadowing."

I was fully aware of where my shadow was, and I pointed in its direction, with my eyes still closed.

"Good, now shadow away."

I tried, but since my shadow was here, I couldn't use it. I told Teresa, and she sighed.

"It was a test anyway. Everyone has their limits."

* * *

"Now what are you testing?" I asked, adjusting the mic in my ear as Teresa clipped something on my watch.

"You'll shadow me to certain places that I either picture or name, and Jon will keep track of us on GPS. He'll measure distance, timing, my method, and such after this so you and I can get to the other tests."

I rolled my eyes.

"I saw that."

"What?" I said, innocently.

"Don't imitate Mister J and his puppy innocence," Teresa pleaded. "You just count to five, shadow, count again, and shadow again. When I tell you to stop, you stop. Got that?" I nodded. "Then start."

* * *

"Last test and we can get to your training, but we'll start that tomorrow."

I just lied back down on the ground. My head throbbed painfully from shadowing so many times. It had only been yesterday when Teresa told me to take it easy to make sure I had recovered. Now, it was like she was driving me to the edge of exhaustion. Who could use their ability for several hours straight with nothing more than five-second breaks?

As the side effect, I had a pounding headache, and I felt slightly sick to my stomach.

"C'mon, Shadow, get up." Teresa tapped my side with her foot.

"I like the floor, Raven," I told her in response.

"Stop acting like Mister J."

"If you were around him as much as I have been, you wouldn't notice a difference." Teresa snorted and gave my foot a kick. I winced. "I feel sick, Teresa."

"Just one more test and then you can cuddle with Mister J."

"Can't. He's dealing with a few rebels."

"You should still be there waiting for his return like a good girlfriend."

I lifted my hand to look at the mood ring. A small smile came to my face. For the Joker, I was doing this for my beloved puppy, for Heath Ledger.

I outstretched my hand. "Help me up." Teresa grabbed my open hand and pulled me to my feet. "Hope this doesn't take long."

"Depends how cooperative you are, Shadow," Teresa smirked, and I glared at her. She handcuffed me to a pole. "I want to see you try to shadow like this. Did you try in the MCU?"

"No, I was busy wallowing in guilt," I replied, darkly.

"Relax, Shadow. Don't get sore about a simple question. Now shadow to my side."

I tried, but not only did I not move but I almost yanked my shoulder out of its socket. I couldn't help crying out in pain, my eyes tearing up instantly. Gripping my sore shoulder, I slipped my hand out of the handcuffs.

"Sorry, Shadow," Teresa apologized, coming to comfort me.

"We're not testing that limit," I told her, harshly. "I can live without knowing one limit. It not knowing it kills me, that's my fault." Without waiting for her to reply, I shadowed back to the apartment to ice my shoulder. All I had for comfort were my rottweilers, my beloved puppy being out working.

Teresa mercilessly dragged me out of bed at four in the morning. "This is the time you're getting up from now on," she told me, covering my mouth so that I didn't wake up the Joker. "You told me that once you functioned on two hours of sleep. Since you were 'reunited' with the Joker, your schedule has been messed up. You even ruined the Joker's one-hour."

"But he _does_ work on one-hour," I protested quietly as I got dressed into my old "work" clothes.

"No, I've caught him snatching a few hours during the day. Time to bring you to criminal time, and that means the Joker's time. Get moving."

That started my random training sessions. Teresa drove me hard some days and easy on others. I couldn't quite figure out what pattern she was following of what days were training days. For all I knew she could be flipping a coin.

The training sessions were a variety of things, whether it was running, working out, hand-to-hand combat, weapon training, or training the senses. The latter was quite interesting since Teresa sounded like she was teaching me the Force.

"Search your feelings, Shadow. Let go of your eyesight, taste, smell, and touch. Focus only on what you hear."

"Yes, Master Yoda," I murmured, but with her supernatural hearing, Teresa heard me plainly. I was rewarded – or punished – for the remark with a smack on the back of the head.

I'll admit that the training kept me busy, filling my free time. The Joker knew something was up though because of how tired I was at night, but he never pressed, which was quite strange for him. He probably figured I'd tell him at some point.

Of course, it was a month later – the night before I told him – when Teresa woke me up at midnight.

I awoke easily, having grown used to the strange awakenings, and I looked up at her.

"Get dressed into normal clothes," she whispered. "You're ready for part three.

I carefully slipped out from underneath the Joker's arm and did as Teresa told me. "What's part three?" I asked, curiously.

She smiled as she took my hand. "Just shadow and you'll see."

I shadowed, and we appeared in a small clothing store. "_Seriously?_" I asked, looking around.

"You have the ability and skills to be the Joker's partner-in-crime," Teresa said. She smirked as she added, "And partner-in-_bed_."

"I will pretend you did not just say that."

"Now, you have to _dress_ like the Joker's partner-in-crime." She pulled me by my arm, bringing me to a few racks of pants. "I'm thinking a mixture of colors. The Joker likes bright colors." She held up a pair of pink pants.

"Ab-sol-ute-ly _not_," I said, immediately.

"I'm just kidding, Shadow, honestly." Teresa looked through the rack. "Your original work clothing was black and dark blue. Though it matches your personality of late," – I glared at her – "It doesn't match the Joker."

"What about these?" I asked, holding up a pair of blue leather pants. "Not too dark and not too light."

"Works with me." Teresa raced over to a few other racks while I investigated other possible pants.

Normally, I hated clothes shopping, merely because I always went with my mom and she always had to try something on for herself. I liked quick shopping – preferably one trip that got me everything I needed.

Shopping with Teresa proved to be fun, despite the fact that she kept throwing possible items at me. Trying them all on took two hours though. I liked certain parts and had to match them up with other things.

Even though it took my time sleeping with the Joker, I think it was worth it.

* * *

Teresa gave me a thumbs-up as I put my cell phone to my ear.

"Hi, puppy," I greeted, glumly – acting, of course.

"_You don't sound, ah, too good, Shadow,"_ the Joker responded.

"I feel lonely…"

"_Isn't Raven there?"_

"No, she left an hour ago. Puppy, come home," I pleaded.

"_Can't. My boys are, ah, itching for some fun."_

"Can I come?" I asked.

"_No,"_ he responded, instantly.

"Well, can I come over to give you a farewell hug? I won't see you for some time."

I heard him sigh and wondered if our relationship had started to break during my month of training.

"_Come on over. I'm at, ah, at the boys' apartment."_

"I'll be right there." I hung up and slipped my cell into my back pocket, giving a thumbs-up to Teresa before shadowing to the Joker's henchmen's apartment door.

Something dropped heavily, and I heard someone swear from inside. I shadowed inside to see what happened to see that Brian had dropped his bag of equipment. There was a gunshot, and Brian dropped dead on the carpet.

All the men – there were five of them, excluding James, Dean, and Peter – glanced over at the Joker who stood livid with anger by the window, still holding his gun up.

The Joker's angry eyes flickered to Dean. "Take his place," he ordered, and Dean snatched up the dropped bag, easily swinging it over his shoulder. It didn't look like his return to working under the Joker had done much to him, besides suddenly having muscles that actually showed. Of course, since I was one of the comparing people, I compared Dean's muscles to the Joker's and the Joker's were still larger and better formed.

I shadowed outside and entered the doorway, leaning against the frame with my legs and arms crossed. I guess you can say I was trying to pull off a 'sexy' pose.

"All he did was drop the bag, Mistah J," I said, loudly. "Was it necessary to make such a mess even _before_ you started work?"

All nine of the men in the room looked up, and many pairs of eyes widened in shock.

* * *

**Joker: *whistles***

**Shadow: *shoves him out the window***

**D: Jeez, that was nice. Don't forget to review, people. I'm still working on the story, even though I don't upload that often anymore. I'm still working hard.**

**Joker: So she claims.**

**D: *swats him* Be nice! Reviews!**


	57. Author's Note

**D: Look, I apologize for the lack of wanting to finish this story. I've been trying to push to the end, but I'm not having much success. I'm hoping it'll strike up again, but at the moment, with my original plan for this story, it's not moving in the right direction, so I was thinking of changing it a great deal. I'm not sure if anyone is even reading this story anymore, so if you are, could you please send a little review that at least says, "I'm here". It's honestly not that hard. Just click the 'leave a review' button, type in 'I'm here', and then click 'send'. Not too hard. If anything, it should take you, like, ten seconds at most.  
**

**If anyone cares, I'm going to try to re-format the story, but again, I'm not going to have much of a good start, seeing as I'm looking back at the previous chapters, and I've killed the original Joker that Heath Ledger came up with. Be honest, how many of you can see Heath Ledger's Joker falling head-over-heels for a single woman, or just any women at all? I have an idea of how to change the story, but I'd like to see how many readers I'm doing it for. Some of you might like how I'm doing this, but I can't really have pride in my work if I'm not enjoying it and it's not going to way I had hoped. I have another idea that might work...of course, the new idea will alter my idea for the sequel, but what do you readers care about a sequel that you haven't read yet?**

**So at least, please reply. I could name all the reviewers I have, but honestly, I'm just too lazy. I'm hoping to strike up the story again, but at this rate, I might just write it only for myself, and take what I have of this story off of Fanfiction. Or I'll leave this story completely alone and never touch it again on Fanfiction. I don't know. Please review and tell me who's still alive out there. Please?!  
**


	58. 2nd Author's Note

**D: All right, here's the deal. I've changed the title of this story to 'Original J's S' so that I could use the title "Joker's Shadow" in my second attempt. I haven't decided whether or not to delete this first attempt yet so I'll leave it up as it is. In the meantime, look for "Joker's Shadow". I've started it already but haven't uploaded it.**

**We'll be changing the plan of getting the chapters up though. Rather than putting them up every other day, as the previous one, I'm gotta try to update a chapter a week. I hope to make the chapters longer with more detail, and I want to avoid going over fifty chapters. And I'll also try to keep the Joker in his original personality, but like the first attempt, I'll be bringing in his past self as well. I'll add this at the beginning of the first chapter so I can avoid having readers telling me that I'm completely destroying the Joker's personality. No one knows what he was like before he became the Joker, so I think I have a right to create and lead his past personality. Oh, and as a second thought, I'm going to be using pretty much the same ideas, but I'm going to mix them better into the story rather than have them be completely random.**

**I'm hoping my beta reader will return to her little "duty" of being my beta reader, but I'll be paying better attention to things on my own so my writing should be better.**

**And again, if I fail in uploading once a week, I want to apologize beforehand since I _am_ a senior in high school, and I'm preparing for college and trying my best to get through high school. So, don't be angry with me. As for the author notes, I'm gonna limit those a great deal more because some where _incredibly_, and unnecessarily long.**

**And just a question. Do you think I should put titles in for the chapters or do you not care - or mind - about the 'chapter 1', 'chapter 2', chapter 3', etc? Please review again to give me any answer to this question. Again, it's not so hard. All I'm looking for is 'put titles' or 'don't care'. Here, i'll make it easier. 'put titles' is a 'yes', and 'don't care' is a 'no'. and if you want it even _easier_. 'put titles' is a '1' and 'don't care' is a '2'...I really hope none of you are really _that_ lazy.  
**

**Anyway, look for "Joker's Shadow" by lordlink13 for my second - and hopefully _better_ - attempt. I'll post it ASAP, after I get all the reviews I can get from the above question.  
**


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